Members of Chinese press report receiving threats ahead of Xi’s visit

The Macau Portuguese and English Press Association (AIPIM) has said that the organization has not received any reports of threats from its community, contrary to what members of the Chinese press said they experienced recently.
Macau Business reported that the Macau Journalists’ Association (AJM) said there were instances of local reporters being instructed to be cautious about what they say.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit the SAR for three days starting tomorrow for ceremonies to mark the 20th anniversary of the handover.
Meanwhile, the press association for Portuguese and English-speaking press said that it has no knowledge of such threats occurring among its community.
“We don’t have any knowledge of threats against members of AIPIM or journalists working for Portuguese and English media outlets in Macau,” the association replied to the Times.
“What we can say is that any confirmed situation of threats against journalists is unacceptable,” it added.
Last week, a Hong Kong journalist was held by immigration authorities for nearly three hours while attempting to enter Macau.
The senior reporter for the South China Morning Post (SCMP), who mainly reports on human rights, security, politics and societal issues in Hong Kong, was detained in a small room and questioned by immigration authorities. He was later collected by lawmaker Pereira Coutinho.
In light of this, AIPIM also issued a statement last week noting, “in face of recent cases of journalists from outside of Macau being denied entry or being subject to lengthy questioning at the borders, AIPIM expresses concern and calls on Macau authorities to respect the journalists’ freedom of movement and stresses the importance of ensuring that press freedom is fully upheld.”
The Chinese press association also considered these incidents unprecedented. LV