Hong Kong, Feb 09: A Chinese official has threatened to take legal action against Hong Kong's journalists over their reporting of bird flu outbreaks on the mainland, newspapers here reported today. Zhong Yangsheng, Executive Vice Governor of China's southern Guangdong province, also insisted there was no outbreak in the province's Chaoan county although it has been confirmed by the Central government. ''There are some media which report on hearsay and this is against the law. We could take legal action against them according to our laws,'' Zhong told reporters yesterday. ''I hope the media, including those from Hong Kong, observe the laws and don't report unless they are confirmed.'' Almost half of China's 33 provinces and regions have either confirmed or suspected outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 avian flu, which has killed 18 people so far in Asia and decimated poultry populations wherever it has appeared. China was harshly criticised last year for trying to cover up the Sars epidemic, which eventually spread to Hong Kong and about 30 countries, infecting over 8,000 people and killing 800 of them. Its leaders have since told its officials repeatedly to come clean on outbreaks of any sort. In recent weeks, Hong Kong media have reported several new Sars and birdflu cases in China before they were confirmed by official or semi-official media. Most mainland media toe the official line on major news stories deemed by the central government as sensitive. Hong Kong has a more open and aggressive press despite some concerns about media self-censorship since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Even after Chaoan country was listed among places in China battling the bird flu, Zhong said, ''According to whom is there an outbreak in Chaoan? The chickens could have died from car accidents or could have died from food poisoning.'' ''Many farmers use excessive insect killers in their fields.'' Bureau Report