Tourist’s death after alleged beating will ‘further damage Hong Kong’s image in mainland China’, state newspaper says

The death of a mainland Chinese tourist after he was allegedly beaten unconscious by a gang of four men during a row over “forced shopping” will further damage Hong Kong’s image in mainlanders’ minds, a state newspaper said.

But a lawmaker hit back – saying it was “absolutely unfair” to blame Hong Kong for what happened between mainlanders.

Police officers were searching for two men involved in the beating, suspected to be mainlanders, after they arrested a local tour guide and a mainland tour group leader on Monday night.

Global Times, a state-run Beijing-based conservative daily, is one of several mainland media outlets to cover the tourist's death, rekindling anti-Hong Kong sentiment on mainland China's internet.

Global Times said although details of the tragedy – such as whether the beating was led by a mainland gang – remained unclear, the death reflected the “chaotic Hong Kong tourism market and a serious loophole in the rule of law” in the tourism industry.