“Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You” — Beijing Summons Foreign Journalists After Hong Kong Disaster Coverage

December 06, 2025 – China – 

Beijing’s security arm in Hong Kong has delivered a stern warning to foreign media, summoning international press outlets and criticizing their reporting on the city’s deadly apartment fire — a move widely viewed as a crackdown on independent journalism just days before a major election.

On December 6, the Office for Safeguarding National Security (OSNS) convened senior editors from several well-known foreign media organisations. During the meeting, OSNS officials accused foreign journalists of spreading “false information,” distorting facts about the fire response, and attempting to interfere in the upcoming Legislative Council election. The statement issued afterward warned media not to cross what it called “legal red lines,” and bluntly added: “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

The warning follows the blaze on November 26 at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po district — the worst fire in Hong Kong in 75 years — which killed at least 159 people and displaced many more. The catastrophe has already triggered public anger over safety standards and raised serious questions about government oversight. In that context, independent and foreign media reporting on structural failures, alleged negligence, and official response have been contributing to public scrutiny.

Critics argue that the OSNS’s summons and warning effectively amount to intimidation: a signal that critical reporting will no longer be tolerated. Media-freedom advocates warn this could deepen self-censorship and severely curtail independent press coverage in Hong Kong, especially in a period of political tension and electoral uncertainty.

The meeting marks the first time OSNS has publicly summoned foreign media en masse in direct response to their coverage of a disaster — a shift that underscores how deeply Beijing now involves itself in controlling narrative and media activity in Hong Kong.

As Hong Kongers head to the polls under tightened security and political pressure, the warning to foreign journalists signals a troubling new phase, where writing about tragedy or government failings may be treated as a potential crime. The autonomy of the press — once a signature of Hong Kong’s identity — is increasingly under threat.

Reference – 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/dec/06/dont-say-we-didnt-warn-you-beijing-summons-journalists-in-hong-kong-after-fire

https://tribune.net.ph/2025/12/07/journalist-councilor-fatally-stabbed-in-surigao-del-sur

‘Don’t say we didn’t warn you’: China’s nat. sec office in Hong Kong summons international media