After the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, international media organizations are once again pulling out of the city. Reports have emerged indicating that The Wall Street Journal will relocate its Asia headquarters to Singapore and significantly reduce the number of journalists and editors stationed in Hong Kong.
According to a report by Hong Kong’s Ming Pao on May 3rd, The Wall Street Journal will be moving its Asia headquarters from Hong Kong to Singapore. Some Hong Kong-based journalists may be transferred to Singapore or other parts of Asia, while a number of resident journalists and editors in Hong Kong will be laid off, accounting for over half of the current staff size in Hong Kong. In the future, only a few journalists and editors will remain stationed in Hong Kong.
Editor-in-chief Emma Tucker stated in an internal memo yesterday on the 2nd, that similar to many companies as reported by them, The Wall Street Journal will shift its operational focus in Asia from Hong Kong to Singapore. Some colleagues will be forced to leave, with the majority coming from Hong Kong. The Wall Street Journal will establish new editors in Singapore, overseeing coverage including China’s stock market, real estate market, electric cars, and Hong Kong stocks, among other business news.
The memo did not specify the reasons for the withdrawal from Hong Kong, nor did it mention the National Security Law or Hong Kong’s political climate or business environment. However, several journalists from The Wall Street Journal have expressed that the company’s decision may be related to the recent developments in Hong Kong in recent years.
Since the implementation of the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law, many international media outlets have been concerned about the impact on press freedom in Hong Kong. Some have relocated a portion of their staff from Hong Kong, while others have prepared contingency plans to move to other regional locations when necessary. For example, The New York Times shifted its digital news operations in Hong Kong to Seoul, South Korea.