The Foreign Correspondents' Club Hong Kong

FCC Statement on Results of FCC’s Press Freedom Survey 2025

An anonymous survey of the FCC’s Correspondent and Journalist members reflects the damaged sentiment that many working journalists in Hong Kong are facing.

The results of the survey, the third that the FCC has conducted in the last four years, raise concerns about the working environment that our members and others in the media industry face.

Of the 69 respondents, 43 (62%) said that their working environment as a journalist in Hong Kong had changed for the worse since July 2023, the time of the last press freedom survey. The National Security Law, its related trials, and the perceived exodus of international news organisations were mentioned as reasons for the change.

Respondents also noted that their sources have become more concerned about sharing their own opinions, with 44 (64%) saying that their sources are less willing to be quoted or discuss sensitive subjects.

Journalists are cautious about their own writing as well, with 45 (65%) saying they had self-censored in the last 18 months, and 12 (18%) saying they had self-censored “considerably”.

Ten respondents (16%) reported facing minor interference in their reporting, and one noted significant interference.

The perception of the media environment is also noteworthy, with four people (6%) saying they are “very concerned,” and 36 people (52%) being “slightly concerned” about the possibility of arrest or prosecution over their reporting or opinion articles or work they have edited.

While only one person reported experiencing digital surveillance and two reported physical surveillance, 62 (90%) said they were concerned about digital and physical surveillance.

The FCC supports journalists’ fundamental right to conduct their work freely and without fear of intimidation or harassment.

We will continue our proactive engagement with relevant authorities to safeguard press freedom in the city in order to make sure that Hong Kong remains a thriving hub for journalism and business in the region.

Read the full results of the survey in the latest edition of the club’s magazine, The Correspondent.

Nominees for the Election of the Board of Governors 2025-2026

Dear Members,

Here are the nominations for the FCC Board of Governors 2025-2026. Below are links to each nominee’s bio and policy statement. Please read them before voting.

Notes:
	a.	Please indicate your vote by putting a “✓” in the appropriate bracket. Any mark other than a “✓” shall invalidate this Ballot paper.
	b.	If vote(s) casted exceed(s) the number allowed in respective capacity, this Ballot paper shall be invalid.
	c.	Bio & policy statements of the candidates are available at the FCC website <www.fcchk.org>.
	d.	The completed Ballot paper must be received by the Club, either by mail or in the Ballot box, not later than 3pm on Thursday, 22 May 2025.


CANDIDATES

PRESIDENT (The position of President can be voted by Correspondent members only) (Vote for not more than one)
1. Morgan DAVIS – IFR Asia

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT (The position of First Vice President can be voted by Correspondent members only) (Vote for not more than one)
2. Karen KOH – Freelance broadcast journalist

SECOND VICE PRESIDENT (The position of Second Vice President can be voted by Correspondent, Journalist or Associate members) (Vote for not more than one)
3. Tim HUXLEY – Mandarin Shipping

CORRESPONDENT MEMBER GOVERNORS (The position of Correspondent Governor can be voted by Correspondent members only) (Vote for not more than eight)
4. Jennifer JETT – NBC News
5. Kristie LU STOUT – CNN International
6. Connor MYCROFT – SCMP
7. Peter PARKS– AFP
8. Paul TAIT – Agence France-Presse
9. Laura WESTBROOK – Feature Story News
10. Lee WILLIAMSON – SCMP
11. Jing YANG – The Information
12. William ZHENG – SCMP

JOURNALIST MEMBER GOVERNORS (The position of Journalist Governor can be voted by Correspondent or Journalist members) (Vote for not more than two)
13. Zela CHIN – TVB
14. Joe PAN – Blockwind News \| Hong Kong Baptist University, International Journalism Programme

ASSOCIATE MEMBER GOVERNORS (The position of Associate Governor can be voted by Correspondent, Journalist or Associate members) (Vote for not more than four)
15. CHAN Nap Kee Joseph – Oriental Patron Financial Group
16. CHEUNG Neo Ton Francis – Doctoral Exchange Group
17. Simon CONSTANTINIDES – Atrellus Business Services
18. LIU Kin-ming – KM & Associates
19. Alan Forbes MACDONALD – URBIS Limited
20. Lynne MULHOLLAND – The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels
21. Wing SHEK – FactSet
22. Christopher SLAUGHTER – Consultant
23. Barbara YU LARSSON – PAKT Limited

How a surprise promotion led to Hong Kong becoming a leading seller of Picasso paintings

By Hugo Novales, FCC In-House Journalist

When thinking about Pablo Picasso and his influential paintings, Hong Kong may not be the first place that one may consider to be associated with the famous artist. However, that gradually changed in the late 2010s after Felix Kwok became the Head of Modern Art for Sotheby’s Asia, which is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong.

Kwok’s appointment to this position, in his own words, was “quite an accident.”

At a Club Lunch preceding Art Week Hong Kong, Kwok gave his first-ever talk at the FCC to highlight his career at Sotheby’s as the Head of Modern Art and a registered auctioneer. Sitting alongside him was Joe Pan, FCC Journalist Board Governor, who was the moderator of the talk.

Just a few hours after his predecessor suddenly left Sotheby’s, Kwok was chosen as the next Head of Modern Art. He had already helped Hong Kong sell its first Picasso art piece for US$1,000,000 — a move that intimidated Sotheby’s New York and London who both accused their Hong Kong counterpart of trying to “steal” Picasso from them.

Kwok clarified that he wasn’t trying to take anything away from his overseas colleagues. Selling Picasso’s art wasn’t for a self-boost to his professional profile, but a necessary step he later realised he needed to take in order to step into the next stage of his career and make an impact in Asia.

“Picasso really marks the beginning of my journey as a leader in the auction platform,” he said. “It’s not just about selling, but about the statement as an expert [and] what I try to bring to Asia.”

His vision for making Hong Kong a leader in global arts sales is also shared by his teammates, who were also special guests at this Club Lunch. Kwok took a moment to thank his team for joining the event and also working hard to secure record-breaking sales in the city.

“We really work very hard to make Hong Kong a real trading platform of international modern art,” he said.

Kwok also talked about his role as an auctioneer and what it’s like to stand at the podium to showcase and sell such high-bidding art, describing this role as both “exciting” and “iconic.”

He explained that he started training to become an auctioneer in 2012 but didn’t land his first official role until 2019, after he had already begun working for Sotheby’s.

“I like being on stage. I love the interaction between me and my guests, and I can do much more when I’m on stage and fix any last-minute problems,” he said.

Now that his tenure as Sotheby’s Head of Modern Art has ended (Kwok left the art house in November 2024), he is continuing to make an impact in Hong Kong’s art scene by leading private art sales.

To watch the full discussion, please visit the FCC’s YouTube channel: