Hong Kong refuses to grant visa to Economist journalist

An Australian correspondent from the Economist had his visa refused by Hong Kong, the paper's chief editor said. Hong Kong has been cracking down on free speech and dissent in recent months.

Sue-lin Wong is one of several foreign journalists working in Hong Kong who have been forced out in recent years.

The once-outspoken city has experienced a dramatic decline in press freedom following 2019's huge democracy protests and Beijing's tightening of the national security law last year.

Wong, who has not been in Hong Kong since 2011, was denied permission to return to work there, said the paper's editor, Zanny Minton Beddoes.

"We urge the government of Hong Kong to maintain access for the foreign press, which is vital to the territory's standing as an international city," Beddoes stated.

The Chinese government imposed its national security law on Hong Kong last year, resulting in protests and arrests of democracy activists, newspaper editors, and journalists. 

Last year, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong reported "highly unusual" delays in visa approvals for multiple media outlets.