On February 28, The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong sent the following submission to the Security Bureau on the Consultation Document of Article 23 of the Basic Law.
FCC Submission on the Consultation Document of Article 23 of the Basic Law
A Message from the President
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“As mid-term report cards go, I’m satisfied with the progress we’ve made thus far and confident that we can build on what we have achieved in
the Year of the Dragon.”
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| Dear FCC members, |
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| When I wrote my first president’s letter in June 2023, I laid out six priorities that I aimed to achieve as president. Six months later, halfway through the Board year, I’m writing to share updates on the progress we have made towards achieving these goals. |
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| 1) Resume issuing press freedom statements |
| We have issued six press freedom statements in the past six months, making our voice heard after a period of prolonged silence. In my policy statement, I made a pledge to lead with pragmatism—to engage in the issues and make our substantial voice count while safeguarding the future of the FCC. With several key verdicts expected in the coming months, we will not deviate from this path. More than 50 civil society organisations have disbanded in the last three years. It’s vital that the FCC remains standing as an independent voice, steadfast in its mission to defend press freedom and support journalists. |
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| 2) Appoint a new permanent GM |
| As previously communicated, David Brightling has been appointed as the next general manager of the FCC, having joined the team at the end of January. An experienced GM, David has managed multiple prestigious clubs in Asia across his decades-long career and was most recently GM at the Tanglin Club. I’m confident he will elevate our already high standards and improve the member experience. |
| 3) Build on last year’s training stream for early-career journalists |
| After a successful fundraising event, over the last few months we have hosted subsidised workshops on digital security, covering China and presenting skills aimed at early-career journalists. |
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| 4) Bring back the FCC’s Journalism Conference |
| The conference will return on April 13 after a five-year absence. With a mission to inform and uplift, we are building the programme to help journalists equip themselves with the knowledge and tools they need. Expect talks and panels on China, climate journalism, mental health, artificial intelligence and more. |
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| 5) Develop community outreach initiatives |
| The Board voted to reinstate the club’s long-dormant Charity Committee this autumn, with Correspondent governor Morgan Davis taking the lead as convenor. More than a dozen members have joined the rejuvenated committee to help the club make a positive impact in the community. |
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| 6) Make diversity a priority at FCC speaking events |
| The Professional Committee has started to track gender representation at FCC speaking events. In the last three months of 2023, 43 percent of our speakers were women. We will continue to monitor and strive for parity. |
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| As mid-term report cards go, I’m satisfied with the progress we’ve made thus far and confident that we can build on what we have achieved in the Year of the Dragon. I’m tremendously grateful to the Board of Governors and all committee members for their support of these priorities and for the countless hours that have been put in behind the scenes over the last six months. It really does take a village. |
| As always, I welcome all feedback on how we can improve. |
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| Lee Williamson President |
| [email protected] |
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A Message from the General Manager
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| Dear members, |
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| It is a pleasure for me to write my first note as your General Manager. |
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| I have enjoyed a warm welcome from members and staff alike since my arrival on Monday 29th January. I have already noticed familiar faces at familiar spaces around the main bar and I now know where the lawyers and photographers sit! You will see me around the club well into the evening – especially on Friday nights – and I ask for your patience and understanding as it will take me a while to connect all the names and faces. |
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| Member feedback is very important, and I appreciate the many comments and suggestions I have received to date. FCC members are certainly passionate about their club! Comment Cards are shared with me and discussed with the management team, and a summary is presented to the House/F&B Committee and to the Board each month. The team is also planning a comprehensive Membership Survey for March. This will enable us to gather statistically valid data on member satisfaction with our various outlets, programmes, events and facilities. Ample space will be provided for comments which, while not statistically valid, help to provide context to the numerical scores and will assist us in identifying opportunities for improvement. The scores will be cross tabulated with demographic information so that we can understand the needs and wants of our diverse, multinational membership. |
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| I encourage you to participate in this important initiative. Survey data is very valuable for the Board, its various committees, management and staff. Results will be shared with each of these groups and with the membership through The Correspondent magazine and will form the basis of planning for the future. Survey results are also invaluable for me, as your new General Manager, as they will help me to clearly understand what members want and to plan and prioritize accordingly for the months ahead. We are also planning three lucky draw prizes for survey participants, which we will announce in late February. |
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| Finally, a word about our staff. The FCC is blessed with a dedicated, hard-working, warm and welcoming team, some of whom have worked at the club for decades. I am enjoying working with them and look forward to giving them the tools they need to help to improve the club’s already high standards. They are an integral part of your experience at the club, and I know how much they are valued and appreciated. |
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| I look forward to seeing you around the club in the weeks and months ahead. |
| Kung Hei Fat Choy! |
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| Yours faithfully, |
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David |
| David Brightling General Manager |
| [email protected] |
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Opening Hours during the Chinese New Year 2024
Festive Season Opening Hours
New Monthly Subscription Fees from 2024
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| New Monthly Subscription Fees from 2024 |
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| Dear Members, |
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| I’m writing to inform you that the Board of Governors has voted to increase monthly subscriptions for all categories of membership by HK$100 per month, to HK$1,300, effective from January 1 2024. Joining fees will be unchanged. |
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| I’m proud that the FCC remains one of the best value clubs in the city—even with this latest amendment to our fees—but we must balance value for members with the long-term financial health of the club. |
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| In 2022, the club increased monthly subscriptions for the first time in seven years. With only one increment over the better part of a decade, our fees remain behind inflation. To remedy this moving forward, the Board has also made a commitment to review monthly subs on an annual basis. |
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| One way that we can all help to increase club revenue is to recruit more members. If you’re successful, of course, the HK$1,000 club credit you’ll receive for recruiting a new member will pay for almost all of this year’s increase in subs fees—the definition of a win-win! |
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| On behalf of the Board, I wish you a happy and peaceful festive season. |
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| Yours faithfully, |
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| Lee Williamson President |
| [email protected] |
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In loving memory of John McBeth
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| John McBeth |
| May 31 1944 – December 7 2023 |
| Of all the foreign correspondents who have worked in southeast Asia over the past six decades, none surpassed John McBeth in dedication to his craft and the esteem and friendship of his colleagues. |
| As a young and adventurous journalist from Taranaki, he left the Auckland Star en route to London. He never got there. Stopping off by chance in Indonesia he found a new Asian home and field for his talents. |
| Working in Bangkok for a variety of publications and agencies, he was an early recruit to Asiaweek, then in 1979 joined the Far Eastern Economic Review where he was to remain until its 2004 closure. He was in a Bangkok bureau with such talents as Rodney Tasker and Paisal Sricharatchnya and close friend of Neil Davis, the noted war cameraman killed in an abortive Thai coup. Eased out of his Bangkok comfort zone to Seoul, he distinguished himself covering the turmoil and political change of the late 80s and, with colleague Nayan Chanda, scooping the world on the North Korean nuclear programme. |
| From there it was to Manila and a still much-quoted series on the nation’s regional warlords. He then had a medical issue which resulted in the amputation of one leg. This trauma would have killed the spirits of most journalists, but with the never ending support of his wife Yuli Ismartono, the correspondent for Tempo he had met in Bangkok, he overcame the challenge. It is hard to overstate the importance of their bond. |
| They moved to Jakarta where he again distinguished himself with coverage of the latter Suharto years and then turmoil which followed his downfall. After the Review’s closure he wrote a regular column on Indonesia for the Straits Times and contributed to other publications and in 2011 wrote an entertaining book accurately entitled “Reporter: Forty Years Covering Asia”. |
| He had some strong opinions but never let them get in the way of accurate reporting delivered cleanly and on time. |
| As a colleague, he was always good company. Good friends included not just his immediate workmates but correspondents at large, not least FCC immediate past president Keith Richburg. |
| He seemed indestructible and was in fine form when I saw him just three months ago. But such is aging. Now we mourn with Yuli the passing of someone who has left us with so many good memories and a permanent record of good journalism. |
| Philip Bowring |
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The Foreign Correspondents’ Club Awards Clare Hollingworth Fellowships 2023
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| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club Awards Clare Hollingworth Fellowships |
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| FELLOWS |
| Mithil Aggarwal |
| Mithil Aggarwal is a producer / reporter for NBC News, covering global breaking news and human interest stories. An engineering graduate from The University of Hong Kong, he stumbled into journalism by accident, producing an award-winning podcast. |
| Eudora Wang |
| Eudora Wang is the Deputy Editor, Greater China, at DealStreetAsia, where she covers alternative investments. Wang holds a master’s degree in international journalism studies from Hong Kong Baptist University and a bachelor’s degree in radio and television studies from Xi’an International Studies University. |
| Aruzhan Zeinulla |
| Aruzhan Zeinulla is a senior-year international journalism student at Hong Kong Baptist University from Kazakhstan. After completing her summer internship, primarily covering the Russia-Ukraine war, she joined CNN as a freelance news desk researcher. |
| The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is pleased to announce that it has chosen Mithil Aggarwal, Eudora Wang and Aruzhan Zeinulla as recipients of the fifth annual Clare Hollingworth Fellowship, named in honor of the preeminent and path-breaking journalist. |
| The panel of judges noted the winners offer clear potential as future leaders both within the FCC and in the wider Hong Kong journalism community. |
| The Fellowship is focused on early-career journalists and current journalism school students in Hong Kong. |
| The open competition drew significant interest from a cross spectrum of applicants. The adjudicators noted the high standard of applicants and encouraged all to apply again next year. |
| For further information on the Clare Hollingworth Fellowship, please visit https://www.fcchk.org/fcc-clare-hollingworth-fellowship-applications-open-2/ |
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Announcement: The FCC’s Next General Manager
FCC: Your Club Needs YOU! (To Join the New Charity Committee)
