Chinese newspaper attacks West over detained artist

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese newspaper on Wednesday attacked Western governments for demanding the release of detained artist-activist Ai Weiwei, saying he had been testing the bounds of China's laws and would pay a price.

The editorial in the Global Times was the first time that state-controlled media have taken up the controversy over Ai, who was stopped on Sunday from boarding a flight from Beijing to Hong Kong and taken away by police. The move sparked condemnation from Western governments and Chinese human rights advocates who see the case as marking a deepening crackdown.