Former Hong Kong leader CY Leung steps up attack on Foreign Correspondents’ Club over talk by separatist party head Andy Chan
Ex-chief executive reminds club premises are leased from government at ‘token rent’ and says Chan’s invite has nothing to do with press freedom
A former Hong Kong leader has stepped up his attack on the city’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club, which insists it will invite the founder of a separatist party to give a talk despite a warning from Beijing, reminding the FCC its premises in Central are leased from the government “at a token rent”.
The organisers however still intend to go ahead with the event on August 14.
Leung’s letter also came just hours after Mallet argued that the value of the club centred on a system that differed from mainland China’s, adding the press freedom was endorsed locally and views from people across the political spectrum were permitted.
In the open letter on his Facebook page, Leung, now a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a top advisory body, said inviting Chan to speak at the club had “nothing to do with press freedom” and reminded the FCC that its iconic building in Central was rented from the government at a token price because of the value.