Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the decision by the Hong Kong Government to deny a work visa to the Financial Times’ Asia News Editor Victor Mallet, what recent assessment he has made of the level of (a) freedom of the press, (b) freedom of expression, (c) the rule of law in Hong Kong and (d) Hong Kong’s autonomy.

We remain very concerned by the Hong Kong authorities’ unprecedented rejection of a visa for senior British journalist Victor Mallet. In the absence of an explanation from the authorities we can only conclude that this move is politically motivated. This undermines Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law, and increases the pressure on the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework. We urge the Hong Kong authorities to reconsider this decision. Confidence in Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms is an essential component of its future success.”

We have raised Mr Mallet’s case with the Hong Kong authorities. Our most recent assessment of these issues can be found in the latest edition of HMG’s Six Monthly Report, published on 6 September.