Hong Kong security chief cautions journalists' union ahead of postponed election

During a press briefing on the eve of its postponed leadership election, Security Secretary Chris Tang warned the Hong Kong Journalists Association that any misuse of its union title to endanger national security, collude with foreign actors, or subvert state power would be met with strict enforcement. The HKJA’s vote, delayed from June because of a lack of nominees, has drawn scrutiny, with Tang noting that all prospective candidates work for foreign or online media and that their identities have not been disclosed, raising suspicions of “black-box dealings.”

Selina Cheng, the interim chair, defended the secrecy, citing “intense harassment campaigns” targeting the board in recent years. An op-ed in the pro-Beijing paper Ta Kung Pao dismissed the HKJA as a platform for destabilising forces. Reporters Without Borders expressed outrage, describing the attacks as an effort to deter journalists from defending a severely weakened media environment. The episode underscores the continued pressure on Hong Kong’s dwindling independent press since the 2020 national security law.