The rice producers included Daban Rice Factory, as well as Xiasheng Rice Factory, Rixing Rice Mill and Dongyang Rice Mill.

WSJ: Cadmium-Tainted Rice Found in Guangzhou

Chinese officials have authorized a pilot project in Wenzhou, a city in Zhejiang close to Ms. Wu's home of Dongyang, to legalize parts of that city's informal lending system.

WSJ: China Rejects Millionaire's Death Sentence

"I worry that the firefighters and their high-pressure hose cannot reach our floor, " says Wu Dongyang, a private businessman who lives on the 16th floor of a 24-story building.

CNN: Deadly fire highlights China's growth problem