A China-based correspondent of the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad was recently accused of fabrication by his assistant, Global Times reported.

The assistant Zhang Chaoqun posted an article on public media on last Sunday, criticizing the China correspondent Oscar Garschagen for fabricating news and even copying from other media outlets, before he quit his job the next day.

On Tuesday, Peter Vandermeersch, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, defended Garschagen, attributing Zhang’s accusation to a personal grudge.

However, Zhang denied the statement made by Vandermeersch on Sept. 6, calling it an irresponsible response without objective and thorough investigation.

According to Zhang, Garschagen once copied from the report of a U.S. media outlet on a home appliance factory. Garschagen admitted that the information was indeed from the U.S. journalist, but claimed it to be a common practice in China.

The Dutch journalist told the Global Times that he is considering all options, including legal action.

Zhang said he hopes that an independent and neutral organization can intervene in the case, and he will do his best to cooperate.