Secretary for commerce and economic development accused RTHK of breaching obligations to promote concept of ‘One Country, Two Systems’

This article is more than 5 months old

This article is more than 5 months old

The Hong Kong government has accused a media organisation of “breaching the One-China principle” after a reporter asked a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) advisor a question about Taiwan during an interview.

RTHK’s Yvonne Tong asked WHO advisor Bruce Aylward whether the organisation would reconsider Taiwan’s membership, long objected to by Beijing. Aylward appeared not to hear Tong, and then either hung up on her or was disconnected.

On Thursday Hong Kong’s secretary for commerce and economic development, Edward Yau, accused RTHK of breaching its charter obligations which include “promoting understanding of the concept of ‘One Country, Two Systems’.”

“The Secretary holds the view that the presentation in that episode of the aforesaid programme has breached the One-China Principle and the purposes and mission of RTHK as a public service broadcaster as specified in the Charter,” he said.

Pro-Beijing legislator Junius Ho, labelled Tong’s questions as “dangerous”.

Taiwan’s virus containment efforts are considered among the best globally, but it is increasingly critical over its exclusion from participating in the World Health Assembly and WHO emergency meetings and briefings because of heavy lobbying from China, which considers Taiwan part of its territory.

RTHK said it had reviewed the interview and stood by it. RTHK advisory panel member, Fermi Wong, labelled it “nonsense” which may have come after pressure from the foreign ministry or Chinese Community Party.

“I don’t really understand why when a reporter is asking something relating to health, she or he has to remember there is ‘One Country, Two Systems’ … in line with the government or China,” she said.

It comes amid growing concern over government overreach into press and civil liberties, which has enshrined rights and protections, including freedom of the press, in its Basic Law.

On Thursday Hong Kong police won a court appeal which gave them broad powers to search the contents of an arrestee’s phone without a warrant if an officer believed it necessary for their investigation.

The city’s police force which has faced accusations of brutality over recent months, were also accused of using social distancing rules to break up protest activity. They denied the accusation.

The Hong Kong government is yet to confirm that it would allow the US journalists expelled by mainland China to work from Hong Kong despite Beijing’s declaration they could not.