Hong Kong Press Freedom Index Sinks To New Low

A new study suggests that press freedom in Hong Kong has fallen to its lowest ever level.

An annual index compiled by the Hong Kong Journalists Association fell by 0.9 points to 47.1 out of 100 – the lowest rating since the group started the study in 2013.

The survey polled 1,033 members of the public.

The association said many of the respondents felt that the press tend to be hesitant in criticising the central government.

The chairman of the Association, Chris Yeung, said comments from President Xi Jinping that Hong Kong people cannot cross the bottom line on the SAR's independence are affecting the public's perception on freedoms.

"That has given perception among the people in Hong Kong that the room [for] One Country, Two Systems is shrinking," he said. Yeung said it's a big concern that in particular, Hong Kong's free speech and free press is deteriorating.

A separate survey among 520 journalists found that a majority of them felt that Beijing’s emphasis on the "one country" aspect of the "one country, two systems" principle has made them uncomfortable in reporting dissenting voices.

Seven out of 10 reporters polled also said they believed that press freedom in Hong Kong had worsened last year.