David Barboza

So I had both the excitement of this great story, but also the fear that a lot can go wrong when you're dealing with this many documents in a foreign language with so many moving parts.

So I had both the excitement of this great story, but also the fear that a lot can go wrong when you're dealing with this many documents in a foreign language with so many moving parts.

We started to call the people who were involved with the family of the prime minister and get them on the phone, which was so important to, you know, it's great to do something based on documents, but you always need someone who's been involved with those documents to say, what do they mean? Do they mean what I think they mean? Is this true?

We started to call the people who were involved with the family of the prime minister and get them on the phone, which was so important to, you know, it's great to do something based on documents, but you always need someone who's been involved with those documents to say, what do they mean? Do they mean what I think they mean? Is this true?

And believe it or not, they talked to me and they helped confirm some things.

And believe it or not, they talked to me and they helped confirm some things.

The government was not happy, obviously, but we were going to publish.

The government was not happy, obviously, but we were going to publish.

The most memorable part was the editors told me we're going to publish that evening. It was late in Tokyo. It was early in New York. And I recall calling Jinggang, calling the foreign minister, who was our window into China and the Chinese government. He'd already denounced me and the Times and said that we were damaging U.S.-China relations and we should not publish anything.

The most memorable part was the editors told me we're going to publish that evening. It was late in Tokyo. It was early in New York. And I recall calling Jinggang, calling the foreign minister, who was our window into China and the Chinese government. He'd already denounced me and the Times and said that we were damaging U.S.-China relations and we should not publish anything.

And I told him that we were going to publish within hours. And I remember him telling me, no, you're not. And I thought, really? I think we are. And he kept saying, no, you're not. And I said, I think we are. It's not my decision. I think the editors are already decided they're going to publish. And I remember him saying, don't do it, David. Like, don't. You're not. Do not do this.

And I told him that we were going to publish within hours. And I remember him telling me, no, you're not. And I thought, really? I think we are. And he kept saying, no, you're not. And I said, I think we are. It's not my decision. I think the editors are already decided they're going to publish. And I remember him saying, don't do it, David. Like, don't. You're not. Do not do this.

And I kept saying to him, it's beyond my control. We have everything we need, and we're going to publish. I remember them telling me this would have grave implications for your wife, who's Chinese, and for you in China, but also for the New York Times Chinese language site, which they had just started. I might have been six months in operation.

And I kept saying to him, it's beyond my control. We have everything we need, and we're going to publish. I remember them telling me this would have grave implications for your wife, who's Chinese, and for you in China, but also for the New York Times Chinese language site, which they had just started. I might have been six months in operation.

No.

No.

I remember all through 2011, 2012, I had refused to use the New York Times, davidbarbozatnytimes.com or whatever, barbozatnytimes.com. I was using Gmail because I thought it was better and safer, which really annoyed the editors. And I remember when we were finishing my article, they said, Will you stop using this Gmail and put your stuff on the New York Times account?

I remember all through 2011, 2012, I had refused to use the New York Times, davidbarbozatnytimes.com or whatever, barbozatnytimes.com. I was using Gmail because I thought it was better and safer, which really annoyed the editors. And I remember when we were finishing my article, they said, Will you stop using this Gmail and put your stuff on the New York Times account?

Which is exactly the account they hacked, right? So when they hacked into my account, they probably were like, why is this account so empty? Why isn't this guy, where are his sources? And I remember the editor saying, you cannot go back to China to pick up your things and pack until you publish the second article.

Which is exactly the account they hacked, right? So when they hacked into my account, they probably were like, why is this account so empty? Why isn't this guy, where are his sources? And I remember the editor saying, you cannot go back to China to pick up your things and pack until you publish the second article.