UK slams China for stifling dissent after Apple Daily announces closure

LONDON: Britain on Wednesday blasted China for using a new national security law to stifle free speech in Hong Kong after the closure of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily.

"The forced closure of Apple Daily by the Hong Kong authorities is a chilling blow to freedom of expression in Hong Kong," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement. "It is crystal clear that the powers under the National Security Law are being used as a tool to curtail freedoms and punish dissent — rather than keep public order," he said, demanding China respect its obligations over Hong Kong's 1997 handover from UK rule.

Media advocacy groups believe that the closure of Apple Daily would undermine the former British colony's reputation as an open and free society and send a warning to other companies that could be accused of colluding with a foreign country. (Agencies)

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