China lashes out at press freedom survey in Hong Kong

By ZEN SOO
Associated Press

HONG KONG (AP) — China has criticized a press freedom survey from the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club that found nearly half its members are considering leaving the city. The survey says the members are concerned about a decline in press freedoms under a sweeping national security law imposed by Beijing following massive anti-government protests in 2019. Eighty-three of the 99 journalists polled said that the working environment had changed for the worse since the law was introduced last June, leading to the arrests of over 120 people. The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong warned the FCC to stop making noise and accused the organization of being black hands that intervene in the city’s affairs. It says there is no absolute press freedom anywhere.