Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current state of media freedom in Hong Kong; and what discussions they have had with the Hong Kong government regarding this.

Under the National Security Law, a once free and vibrant press in Hong Kong has been severely diminished. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in the latest Six-monthly Report to Parliament, published on 19 September, journalists and other media workers are being deliberately targeted under the guise of national security to silence criticism. The Foreign Secretary has made clear our views on the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy, rights and freedoms at the UN Human Rights Council and with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, most recently on 31 August. We were honoured to lead a side event in Geneva on 27 September on media freedom in Hong Kong. Co-sponsorship by 24 countries is a clear signal of the level of international concern at the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.