LATEST NEWS & VIEWS
China censors zero-Covid debate after WHO criticises policy
by Matthew Walsh China’s censors scrambled to wipe out online debate over its zero-Covid strategy on Wednesday after the World Health Organisation (WHO) criticised the country’s hardline approach to crushing the virus. China is the last major economy glued to a zero-Covid policy and enforces some of the most stringent virus controls anywhere in the…
Explainer: Small Chinese-language media outlets press on as Hong Kong’s big names disappear
According to both Beijing and Hong Kong officials, freedom of the press has survived unscathed since the national security law came into force in June 2020. But prominent independent outlets have shut down one after another and journalists have been detained on national security and sedition charges. The International Federation of Journalists says Hong Kong’s…
COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS
Why the days of Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club may be numbered
By ex-club president Matt Driskill In Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises, there’s a famous line about going broke that could be an analogy for China and its brutal repression of the once-free press in Hong Kong. “How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked in the novel. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually, then suddenly.”…
Beijing, Britain, pan-democrats or localists: Who is to blame for the death of Hong Kong’s democracy movement?
Beijing must surely be held responsible for the death sentence imposed on Hong Kong’s democracy movement in 2020. That year, the national security law was promulgated by the central government on June 30 and went into effect immediately. Its letter and spirit have since been used by the local authorities – government, police, and the…
FEATURES
Explainer: Hong Kong’s national security crackdown – month 22
April 15 marked the second National Security Education Day in Hong Kong. The month also saw more blows to press freedom, with national security police arresting another journalist for allegedly publishing “seditious materials.” Press groups suspended awards, citing “red lines” and legal risks. HKFP continues its monthly round-up of developments. Press freedom Veteran journalist Allan…
In full: Winners of the axed FCC Human Rights Press Awards – revealed
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) scrapped the 2022 Human Rights Press Awards after defunct outlet Stand News was slated to win a number of prizes. It prompted a board member to step down and eight members of the club’s press freedom committee to resign. In a statement, the club cited legal risks and “red lines,” whilst…
5 years of Hong Kong under Carrie Lam – how many promises have been kept?
Carrie Lam took office as Hong Kong’s leader on July 1, 2017, after winning 777 votes from a 1,200-member Election Committee. In the five years since, the city has experienced great upheavals, including the protests and unrest of 2019, Beijing’s sweeping national security legislation and election overhaul, and the Covid-19 pandemic – the fifth and…
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