Hong Kong security chief slams Wall Street Journal for ‘fact-twisting’ opinion piece
Secretary for Security Chris Tang pens open letter against editorial that criticised city’s recent conviction of two editors of Stand News
Hong Kong’s security chief has slammed The Wall Street Journal over “fact-twisting” remarks about the city’s recent conviction of two editors of a now-defunct online news service, saying the commentary exposes the US publication’s double standards and “despicable political manipulation”.
In an open letter to the Journal on Tuesday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also vowed that Hong Kong would not be intimidated and would resolutely continue to safeguard national security.
Tang was responding to a commentary by the outlet’s editorial board titled “Hong Kong convicts two editors”, which was published on Monday, days after Hong Kong’s District Court convicted two Stand News editors of conspiracy to publish seditious articles.
The editorial argued that practising journalism could now count as a crime in Hong Kong due to the recent conviction, and a Western due-diligence firm or consultancy that ran afoul of the government’s censorious attitude might be the next target.
It also criticised the “benighted” leaders of Hong Kong, saying they deserved the world’s scorn and sanctions.
“We strongly oppose your fact-twisting opinion piece,” Tang wrote in his open letter.
