Hong Kong government reprimands public broadcaster over questions on Taiwan

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, a Hong Kong government body that supervises the public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), issued a statement accusing the RTHK of breaching the ‘One-China Principle’ and its purposes and mission of as a public service broadcaster.

On RTHK’s programme The Pulse, a reporter askedWorld Health Organization (WHO) official Bruce Aylward whether  WHO would reconsider Taiwan’s membership. 

Aylward appeared not to hear the question, and then hung up after she asked it again. Aylward did not answer the question directly when the link was re-established. The following day, WHO issued a statement that the question of Taiwan’s membership is a matter for WHO member states, not their staff.

The Committee to Protect Journalists stated that the Hong Kong government should let RTHK report freely and without official harassment.

Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu also slammed the Hong Kong government for threatening freedom of the press.