The Financial Times reported on Friday that the Hong Kong government did not provide a reason for their decision to not renew Victor Mallet's work visa. The newspaper stated that this was the first time they had encountered such a situation in Hong Kong and were not given an explanation for the rejection. The Hong Kong government declined to comment on the specific case, stating that the Immigration Department makes decisions based on laws and policies after carefully considering individual circumstances. Mallet, a British citizen, is the first vice president of the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club and was the organization's main spokesperson during a controversial event in August involving a Hong Kong independence advocate that drew criticism from local and mainland Chinese officials. Foreign journalists and media organizations are often punished by Mainland China through denial of resident work visas for reporters and editors. However, Hong Kong, which has stronger protections for civil liberties, has typically been a safer place for journalists. The decision to expel Mallet has caused concerns among human rights advocates, who believe it blurs the line between Hong Kong and mainland China. This unprecedented move is expected to have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the city, according to Maya Wang of Human Rights Watch. Jason Y Ng, president of PEN Hong Kong, also expressed concerns about the impact on free speech in Hong Kong. Ng stated that as Beijing continues to redefine what topics are considered sensitive and forbidden, there is a growing pressure for both institutions and individuals to practice self-censorship. This crackdown on free expression directly impacts Hong Kong's reputation as an open, cosmopolitan city that adheres to the rule of law. He believes that the expulsion of the Foreign Correspondents' Club was a clear act of retaliation by authorities. In August, the Club hosted a talk by Andy Chan, leader of a political party advocating for Hong Kong's independence. The Hong Kong government had announced plans to outlaw Chan's party, the Hong Kong National Party, citing concerns of national security, public safety, and public order. Both Hong Kong and Chinese officials condemned the event. Leung Chun-ying, the former top official of Hong Kong from 2012 to 2017, compared the talk at the FCC to hosting supporters of "racism, anti-Semitism, or Nazism" and suggested that the Hong Kong government should reconsider the lease of the FCC's clubhouse in a historically significant, publicly owned building in central Hong Kong. Mallet, an experienced Financial Times editor who previously served as the newspaper's bureau chief in New Delhi, stated during Chan's talk that the club viewed it as a regular event related to an important news story in Hong Kong. He noted that the unusual level of interest and controversy around the lunch reflected more on the political climate in Hong Kong and Beijing than on the FCC itself. Last month, Hong Kong banned Chan's political party. Under the law, a person claiming to be a party officeholder could face up to three years in prison, while anyone providing a meeting place for the group could be imprisoned for up to a year for a first offense. Hong Kong, which has its own immigration policy and internal border with China, has previously denied visas to academics and political activists. Last year, two scholars from Taiwan were denied entry, and in 2014, several leaders of Taiwan's protests against a trade bill with China were also denied entry to Hong Kong. The recent action against a foreign journalist represents an expansion of these restrictions. The denial of a visa renewal for a journalist with The Financial Times in Hong Kong is unprecedented, and human rights and free speech organizations could not recall any other foreign journalists being expelled. In 2011, Hong Kong authorities refused to grant a work visa to Chang Ping, a well-known journalist from mainland China who had secured a job at a Hong Kong newspaper. This type of treatment towards foreign journalists is more common in mainland China. Megha Rajagopalan, the former China bureau chief for BuzzFeed News, was not granted a new journalist visa this year despite her coverage of the detention of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in western China. Ursula Gauthier, a reporter for the French newsweekly L’Obs in Beijing, had her visa renewal denied in 2015 after questioning China’s treatment of Uighurs. The New York Times and Bloomberg also faced obstacles in obtaining new journalist visas in China following their 2012 reports on the wealth of Chinese leaders' families. Vice President Mike Pence delivered a speech on Thursday criticizing China for imposing restrictions on foreign journalists, stating that these actions are part of the Communist Party's strategy to promote censorship.