GENEVA: China is actively lobbying countries to boycott an event organized by the United Kingdom at the United Nations in Geneva, focusing on media freedom in Hong Kong, according to a letter seen and confirmed by four diplomats on Tuesday. The event, titled ‘Media Freedom in Hong Kong,’ is scheduled to take place on Wednesday on the sidelines of the five-week session of the UN Human Rights Council. Among the scheduled speakers is Sebastien Lai, the son of Jimmy Lai, a prominent media tycoon who recently marked his 1,000th day in a Hong Kong prison on charges related to the city’s national security law and sedition.
China’s mission circulated a letter widely among diplomats at the UN in Geneva, urging countries to “refrain from participating in this event in any way.” The diplomatic note, reviewed by the Reuters news agency, stressed that “Hong Kong-related issues are China’s internal affairs that brook no external interference.”
Three of the four diplomats who received the letter confirmed that Chinese diplomats had also been making individual contacts with some countries, discouraging them from attending or supporting the event in any manner. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, these diplomats declined to be identified.
UN Media Freedom Event on Hong Kong
Despite China’s efforts, at least 22 countries have co-sponsored the event, according to a document, which includes the United States, France, and Germany. Both China and the United Kingdom’s diplomatic missions in Geneva did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tensions in diplomatic relations between Chinese authorities and Britain have escalated in recent years, with the UK accusing China of overstepping its authority in Hong Kong, in contravention of the handover agreement that guaranteed a high degree of autonomy and civil liberties. Hong Kong was returned to Chinese sovereignty from British colonial rule in 1997.
