--- description: Hong Kong's FCC says the denial of a visa to a Financial Times editor "undermines" the city's role as a haven for free speech title: Hong Kong Press Club Fears Precedent in Editor's Expulsion image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e2bdc38317ec12e/69893c7e4ee2620196313183/gettyimages-1045967350.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Hong Kong topic](/tag/hong-kong/) ## Hong Kong topic Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Press Club Sees 'Disturbing Precedent' in Hong Kong's Expulsion of a _Financial Times_ Journalist by [Casey Quackenbush](/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 12, 2018 8:57 AM CUT  Victor Mallet, a Financial Times journalist and vice president of the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC), speaks during an event at the FCC on Aug. 14, 2018. Victor Mallet, a Financial Times journalist and vice president of the Foreign Correspondents' Club (FCC), speaks during an event at the FCC on Aug. 14, 2018.Paul Yeung—AFP/Getty Images by [Casey Quackenbush](/author/casey-quackenbush/) ## Casey Quackenbush Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 12, 2018 8:57 AM CUT The Hong Kong government’s unexplained denial of a visa to a Financial _Times_ editor “sets a disturbing precedent” and “undermines” the city’s role as a haven for free speech, says the local Foreign Correspondents’ Club. The historic press club issued a statement Friday in defense of its vice president, journalist Victor Mallet, who was [denied a visa](http://time.com/5416440/hong-kong-rejects-victor-mallet-visa/ "undefined") last week. The move is widely believed to be a reprisal for Mallet’s hosting of a panel with an anti-Beijing activist earlier this year, and comes amid fears that Beijing’s expulsion of critical journalists from the mainland may now also occur in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. “The importance of this visa sanction goes far beyond the Foreign Correspondents’ Club and its short or long-term future in Hong Kong; it goes far beyond the FT Hong Kong bureau losing its Asia News editor, and beyond Victor Mallet himself,” the statement reads. “This visa decision suggests that free speech may not be permitted in certain unspecified areas. The absence of an official reason or a clear explanation makes the decision appear arbitrary and lacking any basis in Hong Kong law and creates an impossible working environment for the media.” In August, Mallet moderated a [round-table discussion](https://www.fcchk.org/event/club-lunch-hong-kong-nationalism-a-politically-incorrect-guide-to-hong-kong-under-chinese-rule/ "undefined") with Andy Chan, the leader of the fringe Hong Kong National Party (HKNP), which advocates for the former British colony’s separation from Beijing. China’s leader Xi Jinping regards Hong Kong independence as [a “red line” issue.](https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2100895/president-xi-jinping-marks-red-line-warning-hong-kong "undefined") Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam has refused to explain the visa decision, but warned that linking it to the [Chan](http://time.com/5364918/andy-chan-ho-tin-hong-kong-independence-hknp/ "undefined") event was “pure speculation.” The Financial _Times_ said on Tuesday it would [appeal](http://time.com/5420164/hong-kong-financial-times-visa-victor-mallet-fcc/ "undefined") the Hong Kong government’s decision to reject Mallet’s visa. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5422897/hong-kong-journalist-visa-denial-precedent/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5422897/hong-kong-journalist-visa-denial-precedent/"},"headline":"Press Club Sees 'Disturbing Precedent' in Hong Kong's Expulsion of a Financial Times Journalist","datePublished":"2018-10-12T08:57:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T21:43:38.935Z","description":"The move \"sets a disturbing precedent,\" the local Foreign Correspondents' Club says","url":"https://time.com/5422897/hong-kong-journalist-visa-denial-precedent/","keywords":["Hong Kong topic","onetime","overnight"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e2bdc38317ec12e/69893c7e4ee2620196313183/gettyimages-1045967350.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Casey Quackenbush","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/casey-quackenbush/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e2bdc38317ec12e/69893c7e4ee2620196313183/gettyimages-1045967350.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"HONG KONG-POLITICS-INDEPENDENCE","caption":"HONG KONG-POLITICS-INDEPENDENCE","creditText":"Paul Yeung—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/hong-kong/","name":"Hong Kong topic"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5422897/hong-kong-journalist-visa-denial-precedent/","name":"Press Club Sees 'Disturbing Precedent' in Hong Kong's Expulsion of a Financial Times Journalist"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Journalists Protest After Hong Kong Denies Visa to a Financial Times Editor","description":"Media associations in Hong Kong said they were “shocked and deeply concerned” after city immigration authorities denied a work visa to a prominent journalist in a decision that has stoked fears for the financial hub’s press freedoms.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/jdogwvaW/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2018-10-08T10:24:51.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jdogwvaW.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5422897/hong-kong-journalist-visa-denial-precedent/","duration":"PT41S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5422897/hong-kong-journalist-visa-denial-precedent/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```