China Warns Hong Kong Journalists’ Club After Activist Speech
- Independence supporter denounces Beijing in defiant address
- Officials had pressured correspondents group to cancel event
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China warned Hong Kong’s foreign journalists’ club that it risked repercussions after hosting an independence activist’s speech, signaling a potential escalation in the city’s latest battle over political freedoms.
In a harshly worded statement Tuesday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong, of abusing the former British colony’s right to free speech by giving the activist a platform. The ministry said the address by National Party founder Andy Chan, in which he denounced China as a “colonial master,” touched Beijing’s “red line” against challenges to its rule.