On June 23, the management of Apple Daily, in accordance with the resolution of the board of directors of Next Media Limited, said that based on staff safety and manpower considerations, it decided to cease operations immediately after midnight and will publish its last physical newspaper on the 24th; the website will also stop updating and operating after midnight. In response, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said, “The forced closure of Apple Daily by the Hong Kong authorities is a chilling blow to freedom of expression in Hong Kong.” The EU also said that “the erosion of press freedom also runs counter to Hong Kong’s aspirations as an international business hub.”
Raab tweeted, “The forced closure of the Apple Daily by Hong Kong authorities is a chilling manifestation of their actions to silence all dissenting voices. It is clearer than ever that national security laws are being used to restrict freedom and punish dissent.” In a statement from the British Foreign Office, Raab said, “It is clear that the powers under the National Security Law are being used as a tool to restrict freedom and punish dissent, rather than to maintain public order.” He said, “The Chinese government pledged in the UK-China Joint Declaration to protect freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Hong Kong. The Chinese government must keep its word and stand by its freely assumed commitments.”
EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy spokesperson Nabila Massrali said through a statement, “The closure of Apple Daily’s Hong Kong operations clearly demonstrates how the National Security Law implemented by Beijing is being used to stifle press freedom and the free expression of opinion. Its closure seriously undermines media freedom and pluralism, which are essential to any open and free society. The erosion of press freedom also runs counter to Hong Kong’s aspirations as an international business center.”
The statement said, “The EU recalls that these freedoms are enshrined in the Basic Law and that China has made an international commitment in the Hong Kong Basic Law and the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration to respect Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms, including freedom of the press. All the rights enshrined in the Basic Law under the principle of ‘one country, two systems’ should be fully protected and restored.”
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