A journalist with Bloomberg News in Hong Kong said Saturday she is being forced to leave the city after authorities refused to renew her work visa, a move that has sparked renewed concerns over press freedom.
Rebecca Choong Wilkins, Bloomberg’s Asia government and economy correspondent, announced on social media that she would be departing Hong Kong after six years of reporting there.
“After six years of reporting in Hong Kong, and at eight months pregnant, I’m very sad to be leaving my colleagues, friends, and the place I’ve called home,” Choong Wilkins wrote. “I’ll be out of office for a while on maternity leave. Wherever I land, catch you on the other side.”
Her departure was made public after the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong (FCCHK) revealed that her visa renewal had been denied by immigration authorities. No reason was provided, the club said.
A spokesperson for Bloomberg News stated: “We cannot comment on the specifics of her situation, but we fully support Rebecca and will continue to work through the appropriate avenues to try to resolve the matter.”
When contacted by AFP, Hong Kong’s Immigration Department declined to comment on “individual cases,” stating only that it handles immigration matters in accordance with “laws and policies.”
The FCCHK expressed deep concern, saying the decision and lack of explanation “reinforce widespread concerns about the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong.”
Visa denials for foreign journalists in Hong Kong appear to be increasing. In 2023, Chinese national and Bloomberg reporter Haze Fan was reportedly refused a visa to work in the city. More recently, in 2024, Associated Press photojournalist Louise Delmotte had her visa extension rejected, also without explanation.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged transparency from Hong Kong authorities:
“We call on the Hong Kong authorities to explain any denial of work visas and entry into Hong Kong amid a growing number of such incidents, and establish a transparent mechanism in its decision-making processes,” the CPJ said in a statement to AFP.
AFP
