Five months ago when Wang Xiangwei was named editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's leading English-language daily, local journalists shook their heads in dismay. Mr. Wang, a former China Daily reporter and current member of Jilin province's Political Consultative Conference, had built a reputation as the newspaper's in-house censor since he became China editor in 2000. Under his leadership, they feared, the newspaper would be even more shy about breaking news unfavorable to the Chinese and Hong Kong governments.