Beijing warned Hong Kong’s foreign correspondents to stop interfering in the city’s affairs under the guise of press freedom, piling further pressure on media organizations in the financial hub.
"We urge FCC Hong Kong to observe national and local laws and regulations, stop provoking trouble on purpose, and refrain from meddling with Hong Kong affairs under any pretext,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s local branch in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said Wednesday. "No organization or individual shall seek privileges above the law, impede the HKSAR Government’s law-based governance or endanger China’s national security and Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability on the pretext of press freedom.”
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong, which has long advocated for press freedom in Asia, had earlier Wednesday joined local journalists’ groups in opposition to new police rules asserting the power to decide who can legitimately cover protests. Under the new guidelines, police would no longer recognize accreditation provided by local journalism associations, potentially preventing student reporters, freelancers and citizen journalists from covering protests.