Hong Kong news site Citizen News will cease publication Tuesday as the Chinese Communist Party erodes press freedom in the formerly semi-autonomous enclave, the outlet's founders announced Monday.
According to The Associated Press, Citizen News is the third major outlet to close in recent months. Pro-democracy print newspaper Apple Daily closed its doors in June, and online publication Stand News followed suit last week.
The day before Stand News announced its closure, law enforcement raided the outlet's offices and arrested seven people, including two editors who were later charged with sedition. Apple Daily's former owner, Jimmy Lai, has also been jailed on sedition charges.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Citizen News initially tried to soldier on, hiring many former employees from other publications and even offering to allow interns from shuttered outlets to finish their internships at Citizen News. Ultimately, though, founder Chris Yeung concluded that he had no choice but to close before Hong Kong's new CCP-aligned regime forced him to do so.
"At the center of a brewing storm, we found (ourselves) in a critical situation. In the face of a crisis, we must ensure the safety and well-being of everyone who are on board," a statement from Citizen News read.
The same day Citizen News announced its closure, a slate of 90 pro-Beijing lawmakers were sworn into Hong Kong's Legislative Council (LegCo) after an election last month that saw historically low rates of voter turnout, according to BBC. Only pre-screened, CCP-approved "patriots" were permitted to stand for election.
These electoral policies and crackdowns on freedom of the press are the latest steps in Beijing's campaign to bring Hong Kong, which had been a bastion of freedom within China since it ceased to be a British colony in 1997, into line with the rest of the nation. In 2019, the CCP imposed a strict national security law on Hong Kong, effectively ending the region's decades-long history of self-government.
-
Is The Inbetweeners reboot a good idea?Talking Point The cult classic sitcom is set to return over a decade after its final episode – but not everyone is happy
-
Scientists want to use enhanced rock weathering to cool the EarthUnder the radar Rock dust could trap atmospheric carbon
-
Codeword: October 14, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
News organizations reject Pentagon restrictionsSpeed Read The proposed policy is Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s latest move to limit press access at the Pentagon
-
Trump declares end to Gaza war, ‘dawn’ of new MideastSpeed Read Hamas freed the final 20 living Israeli hostages and Israel released thousands of Palestinian detainees
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia JamesSpeed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in ChicagoSpeed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leadersSpeed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-offSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to ChicagoSpeed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in OregonSpeed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
