The invitee was Andy Chan, convenor of the Hong Kong National Party (HKNP); Victor Mallet, vice-president of the press organisation, chaired the session.
[4] Mallet was subjected to a four-hour interrogation by immigration officers on his return from Thailand on Sunday, 7 October before he was finally allowed to enter Hong Kong.
[5] In the absence of an official explanation, Mallet's visa rejection was widely seen to be retribution for his role in chairing the Chan talk, which the FCC refused to cancel.
[1][3][6] The Hong Kong Journalists Association, which has for years lived under the pressure of self-censorship, immediately warned of the "death knell of freedom of speech".
[7] As part of its regular lunchtime talk series, the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Hong Kong (FCC) hosted an event to take place on 14 August 2018.
[9] Many leading pro-Beijing political figures, notably former chief executive CY Leung, vocally opposed and tried to pressure and intimidate the FCC to rescind the invitation in the days running up to the talk.
It insisted that the public has a right to hear the views of different sides of any debate as Hong Kong is governed by the rule of law, and respect for freedom of speech was enshrined.
[5][12] As British citizens are normally allowed to visit without a visa for business and pleasure for up to 180 days, the government's decision was heavily criticised by opposition lawmakers.
[12] In the absence of an official explanation, Mallet's visa rejection was widely seen to be retribution for his role in chairing the Chan talk which the FCC refused to call off.
It said that the incident: “highlight[s] Beijing's tightening grip on the territory and the steady erosion of basic rights that are guaranteed in Hong Kong's laws and international agreements".
[16] Secretary for Security John Lee insisted the ban on Mallet was unrelated to press freedom, but declined to explain the decision, citing "data privacy considerations".
[17] On the other hand, pro-Beijing lawmaker Starry Lee of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said "For the FCC to ignore the warning from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, that's a very serious provocation".
[7] On Carrie Lam's maiden visit to Japan, local journalists questioned her intensely over the government's decision to refuse a work visa for Mallet.