Chinese reporter Fu Guohao, who was beaten by Hong Kong protesters in 2019, died as a result of depression
- Father says Fu died aged 30 in 2021, two years after assault that left his son injured
- Global Times journalist was regarded a ‘patriotic hero’ after being injured while reporting from Hong Kong airport during city protests
“Fu Guohao, the renowned patriotic journalist who loved Hong Kong, died of illness on the evening of October 25, 2021, at the age of 30,” the statement said, adding that his son’s ashes were placed in a cemetery in Tianjin in May.
Confirming the death of his son to the Post on Friday, Fu said it was “a result of depression”, a condition he had struggled with for some time.
Fu said he had delayed revealing his son’s death for more than a year because he was “considering national interests”.
In a later social media post, Fu said he held back the news because he wanted to wait until Hong Kong police had the upper hand in the city, and after last month’s 20th Communist Party congress.
Fu said the assault in Hong Kong, as well as a series of other events which he did not detail had a “domino-like” effect on his son’s mental health.