The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) is deeply concerned about a growing trend among employers of foreign media professionals in China to discourage them from actively engaging with journalists’ organizations such as the FCCC, the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) and the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Hong Kong (FCCHK).
We are troubled by reports of pressure journalist Selina Cheng allegedly faced from her then-employer, The Wall Street Journal, in regards to her participation with the HJKA.
In its 43 years’ history, the FCCC has proven to be an invaluable space for the exchange of ideas among foreign journalists in China and for the support of their work, as well as a channel of dialogue with the Chinese authorities.
We remind the media organizations operating in China that the freedom of association is a fundamental right and an inseparable element of the press freedoms they publicly advocate.