RSF is concerned by the appointment of Eddie Cheung as the head of Radio Television Hong Kong: press freedom under threat

RSF disapproves the Hong Kong’s decision of appointing Eddie Cheung as the head of Radio Television Hong Kong. This concern comes from the fact that he is a political commissar with a strong pro-Beijing commitment. The press freedom is already at its low in Hong Kong, but with this new appointment it is just going even more downwards.

RSF disapproves of the decision of Eddie Cheung’s appointment as the head of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). He was a former territory representative to the European Union, known for his involvement in a smear campaign against international media. He is filling the role of another political commissar, Patrick Li, who was also a bureaucrat without previous media experience, with a strong pro-Beijing commitment.

While serving as the Special Representative for Hong Kong Economic and Trade Affairs to the EU, he signed about 58 public letters in which he accused some of the major European media of ‘unfounded allegations’ on Hong Kong’s policies.

RSF revealed the systematic censorship and information control by the Chinese regime in Mainland China and Hong Kong in their report titled The Great Leap Backwards of Journalism in China. The analysis showed that these actions pose a great threat to press freedom and democracy on a global level.

While once being an example of well-implemented press freedom, Hong Kong had a downfall from 80th in 2021 to 148th this year according to the RSF World Press Freedom Index.