Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club is “deeply concerned” about the dismissal of Selina Cheng

The club said on Thursday it had contacted the American newspaper to inquire about Cheng’s resignation. She was fired on Wednesday, reportedly because she took over as chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association on July 1.

In a statement, a spokesperson said the club was “deeply concerned” and compared Cheng’s alleged treatment by the Journal to that of Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the same media outlet who has been detained by Russian authorities since March 2023.

“If the Journal’s editors in Russia stand up for reporters’ right to do their work without fear or intimidation, they should do the same in Hong Kong,” the spokesman said.

Cheng said on Wednesday she was fired with immediate effect because of her involvement in the union and her refusal late last month to give in to pressure from her former employer, who withdrew her from the race for union chairman.

The Journal confirmed that there had been “some personnel changes” but declined to provide further details.

The Post has asked the Labor Department for comment.

Cheng was elected chairwoman in the association’s June 22 election, took office on July 1, and was fired from the Journal less than three weeks later.

Hong Kong’s Security Minister Chris Tang Ping-keung had also previously sharply criticized the association’s governing body and accused it of not representing the interests of Hong Kong journalists.

The minister said many members of the governing body were “foreign media” or “not even journalists”.