Hong Kong News, a weekly magazine published by the Financial Times (FT), offers an insider’s perspective on the city’s politics and economy. Its editors are renowned experts in their fields and are able to provide a comprehensive analysis of the latest issues.
The FT’s editorial board, in a recent issue, discussed the role of Hong Kong’s booming tourism sector as the city grappled with its most serious crisis yet. A deadly coronavirus outbreak is also affecting the region.
Despite a reputation for being one of the world’s most livable cities, economic pressures are rising as the region struggles to recover from decades of Chinese rule. The latest reports show that the territory is facing a record-breaking housing shortage, with a growing number of people looking for alternative options.
On the other hand, Hong Kong’s thriving retail industry is attracting new investors from abroad and boosting its international profile. The city’s tourism and airline sectors are also rebounding.
However, the city faces an increasingly tough future as it is being pushed towards greater self-censorship and political control. The country’s national security law has already been used to silence independent media and opposition voices, and the government is working on legislation that could further restrict free speech in the territory.
While the government claims the law will “strengthen supervision and regulation over the media,” rights groups say it is a clear attempt to stifle dissent and assert more control over journalism. A senior Hong Kong government official recently dismissed the criticism, describing the law as a vital tool for stability after months of protests against Beijing’s rule.
As the Hong Kong government seeks to strengthen its control over media, it is also targeting foreign news organizations. Almost 200 foreign-based publications have received censorship letters from the city’s top leaders since China introduced a national security law in May 2020, according to an investigation by the Washington Office on Hong Kong.
The government has targeted foreign media over coverage of the Chinese Communist Party’s internal censorship system and of events commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. It has also tried to shut down critical local newspapers, stifling the flow of information in the city’s largest and most influential business hub.
Meanwhile, a series of pro-democracy politicians and activists have been arrested over organising an unofficial primary election for the city’s legislature, and have faced charges of sedition.
Another example of the government’s efforts to crackdown on the territory’s political environment is the recent arrest of a veteran labor activist, who is the wife of an organizer of annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. She is accused of providing money to a crowdfunding campaign that raised funds for pro-democracy protesters.
In the last few years, the government has also enacted a number of laws that restrict freedom of expression and academic, artistic, and religious activities. These include the National Security Law (NSL) and the colonial-era sedition law, which imposes penalties for providing “state secrets” to foreign individuals or entities.