Foreign journalists working in Hong Kong decried what they described as “retaliatory actions” against the media over tension between the United States and China.
In a statement, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) expressed its opposition to the use of journalists’ visas “as a weapon in international disputes.”
The media group said it also opposes taking action against journalists for decisions made by their home countries.
“The editor of China’s state-owned Global Times newspaper has suggested American journalists based in Hong Kong will be targeted in retaliation for the Trump administration’s actions against Chinese journalists in the US,” the FCC said in a statement.
“On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of ‘necessary and timely countermeasures’ in response to ‘the unreasonable suppression of Chinese media outlets in the US’,” the club said.
In May, the US issued new guidelines, restricting visas for journalists of working for Chinese state-owned media to 90 days with the possibility of extension.
Chinese officials have earlier suggested that American journalists based in Hong Kong will be targeted in retaliation for the US action, reported the BBC.
In Hong Kong, several media outlets have published reports about delays in issuing new or renewed visas to journalists working in the city.
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club said the delays “have affected journalists of multiple nationalities and in some cases have prevented journalists from working.”
“The delays are highly unusual for Hong Kong, a city with historically robust press protections,” noted the media organization.
The group said it is “unfair and self-defeating” for China to hold journalists responsible for the actions of the US government.
“Restricting journalists in Hong Kong by reducing their numbers and interfering with their ability to report freely will damage Hong Kong’s international standing and reputation,” said the media group.
The club also called on authorities to clarify the impact of the new national security law on journalists working in the city.
It has asked the government to guarantee, among other things, that journalists will be free to continue their work without intimidation or obstruction.
Many international media groups, including Bloomberg, CNN, Reuters and the BBC, have staff working in Hong Kong.
Last month The New York Times moved a third of its Hong Kong staff to South Korea, citing the new security law in the city had “unsettled news organizations and created uncertainty about the city’s prospects as a hub for journalism”.
Before the security law Beijing had been faulted for undermining both freedom of speech and how the media operates in the former British colony.
