Hong Kong denies visa to Bloomberg reporter Fan

The Hong Kong Immigration Department has denied a work visa to Bloomberg News reporter Haze Fan, a Chinese national who was previously detained for at least 13 months by national security officials in Beijing.

The Committee to Protect Journalists reports, “‘Hong Kong authorities should not normalize the practice of refusing foreign or mainland Chinese journalists visa applications or renewals,’ said Iris Hsu, CPJ’s China representative. ‘The government must recognize that the city’s economic vitality heavily depends on the work of these journalists.’

“On Tuesday, Hong Kong’s independent news site Hong Kong Free Press reported that Bloomberg News editor-in-chief John Micklethwait announced in a staff notice Fan’s visa denial and her subsequent transfer to the outlet’s London office.

“Fan was first detained in Beijing by plainclothes security officials in December 2020 on suspicion of participating in activities that endangered national security. She was released on bail in January 2022, according to a statement by Chinese authorities dated May 2022. However, the journalist was unable to be located for more than a month, according to her employer.”

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