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Notice to members: Price Increases on Club Food and Beverages |
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Dear Members, |
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I’m writing to inform you of an incremental price increase on selected food items and all beverages at the Club that will take effect from tomorrow, May 1. |
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All beverage prices across all outlets will increase by 5 percent. Prices will also be adjusted on a quarter of the 292 items on our food menus across all outlets. Price changes will vary from dish to dish, with an average price increase of 5 percent across the affected menu items. |
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These changes are a response to inflation on food costs and operating expenses since December 2023, which was the last time we increased prices. The decision reflects the ongoing efforts of the Finance Committee and Board of Governors to ensure strong and steady fiscal governance. |
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The Board, Club committees and Club management considered alternative options, such as reducing the number of menu items or reducing portion sizes, but made the decision to maintain both the current variety of menu items offered in our four outlets as well as the portion sizes that members have come to expect—while being conscious of food waste and sustainability best practices. |
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In November 2025, the next Board will consider whether to adjust prices on the three-quarters of food items that have not been affected by this price increase. |
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Popular items will remain on May’s refreshed menu, with low-selling items replaced by 22 new items that have been trialled as specials or monthly promotions. The Club’s executive chef Johnny Ma and his team will continue to experiment with chalkboard specials and promotional menu offerings in the months to come, with popular new dishes considered for the next menu refresh in November. Comment Cards are shared with the House/F&B Committee and the Board, so please do let us know your feedback on the updated offerings. |
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If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me via email or find me in the Club. |
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Yours faithfully, |
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Lee Williamson President |
[email protected] |
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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 |
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PRESIDENT (The position of President can be voted by Correspondent members only) (Vote for not more than one) |
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1. Morgan DAVIS – IFR Asia | ||
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT |
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2. Karen KOH – Freelance broadcast journalist | ||
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT |
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3. Tim HUXLEY – Mandarin Shipping | ||
CORRESPONDENT MEMBER GOVERNORS |
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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 |
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13. Zela CHIN – TVB | ||
14. Joe PAN – Blockwind News | Hong Kong Baptist University, International Journalism Programme | ||
ASSOCIATE MEMBER GOVERNORS |
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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:
Searching for Billie — an author’s quest to trace his mother’s history in Hong Kong
By Hugo Novales, FCC In-House Journalist
At the height of World War II, amidst Japan’s occupation of Hong Kong, author and journalist Ian Gill was conceived in a prison camp where his parents were forced to stay. After the war’s end in 1945, the couple relocated to New Zealand and Gill was born.
As Gill was growing up, his family split their time in England, China, and Thailand. After finishing his bachelor’s degree and starting his career as a journalist, he worked in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and even Hawaii where he furthered his education by obtaining a master’s degree through the East-West Center.
Curious about his family history, Gill returned to Hong Kong with his mother Billie in 1975 and was surprised to come in contact with Billie’s friends and colleagues from her life leading up to and during WWII. He discovered much more than she ever told him, which led him to embark on a journey to trace his family’s lineage all the way back to the 1840s and write Searching for Billie, his latest book that was published by Blacksmith Books just last year.
Speaking about his book alongside Professional Committee member Philip Bowing at an FCC Club Lunch, Gill gave a detailed presentation on his ancestors’ lives leading up to his own birth. Naturally, the majority of both his book and his talk focused on the life of his mother, Billie.
“I used to wake up in the middle of the night, you know, terrified thinking I’ll never finish this book on my mother,” Gill said.

Despite being so determined to chronicle his mother’s history from wartime Shanghai and Hong Kong, all the way to the day he finally gave her grandchildren and her later passing, Gill joked that committing himself to such a lengthy endeavour was foolish on his behalf.
“And I said, ‘No, no, no. I’m not going to let go of this book until every word is finished!’ That was probably the most stupid thing I ever said,” he summarised.
Given his close relationship with his mother and her unique, once-in-a-millenium life story, Gill was asked if Billie herself had ever considered writing a memoir.
“She wrote. She had letters… [but] she wanted me to write it. I took too long, but there we are,” he concluded.
To watch the full discussion, please visit the FCC’s YouTube channel:
Hong Kong’s art scene will continue to be a ‘roller coaster’ over the next ten years, says SCMP Arts Editor Enid Tsui
By Hugo Novales, FCC In-House Journalist
Over the past several years, Hong Kong has been putting in more effort to boost its art scene. With the Hong Kong Palace Museum, Tai Kwun, and M+ all opening within the past 5 years, along with major auction houses doubling down on their operations in the city, Hong Kong has become a more welcoming and vibrant home for local and international art.
Still, the idea that the city is a “cultural desert” persists.
Enid Tsui, the Arts Editor of SCMP — and an FCC member — shared her insights and predictions for the city’s art scene alongside FCC President Lee Williamson at a Club Lunch promoting her latest book Art in Hong Kong: Portrait of a City In Flux (2025). This event was also held in anticipation of Hong Kong Art Week, which takes place from March 26-30.
She first explained that the idea of Hong Kong not being a cultural desert stems from a quote from famous Chinese writer Lu Xun who said during a speech that “Hong Kong is not a cultural desert.” Most people, Tsui said, only remember the final two words of his quote, leading many to believe that Hong Kong lacks an artistic ecosystem.
“This trope is still being rehashed over and over again, and you still see occasionally in actual, official press releases [that say] ‘Hong Kong is no longer a cultural desert,’” she said.

With her firm stance that the city does in fact have a unique cultural identity, President Williamson then asked Tsui to paint a picture of what the next ten years would look like for Hong Kong’s art scene. Her answer: a roller coaster.
“The roller coaster ride that is Hong Kong’s art scene will continue,” Tsui said while citing the major cancellations that have occurred despite the city’s push for more arts-related events.
The most recent cancellation took place on February 23 when the Digital Art Fair released a statement on their website saying, “Due to reasons beyond our control, we are forced to cancel the fair.” The fair was expected to take place during Art Week in the West Kowloon Cultural District. The government’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau said the next day that the fair did not secure funding from the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund.
According to Tsui, cancellations like this are likely in the next ten years as resources become “more selective”, with many of Hong Kong’s art organisations all competing for support from limited government finances.
In addition to resource constraints, Tsui mentioned another factor that may also fuel the rollercoaster of Hong Kong’s arts future — the shifting “red lines” under the National Security Law (NSL) that Beijing imposed upon the city in June 2020.
“Art practitioners, artists, curators, people who work in major venues, they are continuing to negotiate and discover what living under NSL means,” she said. “Censorship and the rules are not specific.”
Despite financial and political challenges, Tsui remained firm that Hong Kong’s art scene isn’t going to disappear anytime soon. In fact, she postulated that Hong Kong could become home to more artists from jurisdictions around Asia that have greater restrictions imposed on artistic freedoms.
Tsui specifically mentioned the queer art fair Myth Makers — Spectrosynthesis III that took place in Tai Kwun from December 24, 2022, to April 10, 2023. She explained how such a fair promoting LGBTQ+ artwork would be censored in places like the Middle East, and even in Singapore where same-sex relations between men were decriminalised in 2022 but same-sex marriage is still not recognised by the government.
“More diversity, perhaps more international talents, may choose to come to Hong Kong, [or to come] back to Hong Kong,” she said.
To watch the full discussion, please visit the FCC’s YouTube channel:
How Hong Kong can tackle its growing mental health crisis
By Hugo Novales, FCC In-House Journalist
Mental health has become an increasingly important issue in Hong Kong. According to Mind HK, a local mental health charity, an estimated 1 in 7 people in the city will experience a common mental health disorder at any given time. Three-quarters of these individuals will not seek help.
Younger people in the city are more vulnerable with 24% of them facing mental health issues and the suicide rate for 15 to 24-year-olds doubling in the past decade.
Last month, the FCC held a Club Lunch panel consisting of three mental health experts who shared their views on how Hong Kong can tackle its growing mental health crisis.
Sitting on the panel was Dr. Scarlett Matolli, a clinical psychologist; Brenda Scofield, a certified counselor and board member for The Samaritans Hong Kong; and Dr. Paul Wong, an Associate Professor from the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at HKU. Moderating the discussion was FCC Charity Committee Member Jenny Hsieh.
First, each speaker gave their own definition of what mental health means to them.

“Mental health is misunderstood as something that you have separate from your physical health… it’s only in the absence of it that people can recognize the presence of it,” said Dr. Matolli when explaining how both mental and physical health are intertwined.
Scofield, on the other hand, offered an alternative phrase to mental health.
“If we called it ‘emotional health’, wouldn’t that be easier for some people?” she asked the audience. “Emotionally, you just can’t live your life the way you would like to at the moment.”
Also offering an alternative and broader definition of mental health, Dr. Wong explained how he believes good mental health shouldn’t just be the absence of any psychological disorders.

“A person’s mental wellbeing should be about finding purpose in life, reason for living,” he said.
Dr. Wong also talked about the changes he’s witnessed in Hong Kong’s approach to mental health since returning to the city in 2003 from Australia where he studied clinical psychology at Bond University.
Back then, there weren’t as many hotlines and services as there are in 2025, which he said reflects the city’s growing discussion on mental health. Despite this, he suggests that even more needs to happen in order to diminish the mental health challenges that Hong Kong faces.
“The field has changed, but still, we have to talk more about [mental health], make it more normal and common as a daily talk,” he said.
Just two years after Dr. Wong returned to Hong Kong, Dr. Matolli also arrived with her family. Her interest in mental health began when she kept getting referred to the public hospital system when seeking help for her own children. Finding that there weren’t very few services in English, she decided to form her own consultancy program targeted towards other expat families living in Hong Kong who also wanted mental health services.
There is now a much wider variety of mental health services that Hong Kong residents can choose from, yet similar to the other panellists, Dr. Matolli believes more can still be done.
“We can’t really rest yet, but we can sit more easily,” Dr. Matolli said.
As a board member for The Samaritans, one of the FCC’s partner charities, Scofield also clarified that their services are not just for people who are having any suicidal feelings, but for anyone going through a tough time who simply wants to be listened to.

“We are here for anyone who is having difficulties, for anyone who is in that dark place and they don’t know what to do about it,” she said.
The panel also discussed the barriers that may prevent someone from seeking mental health services, as well as men’s mental health and how shared backgrounds in support groups may help newcomers seeking help for the first time.
If you are in need of mental health support, you can call:
The Samaritans: 2896 0000
Suicide Prevention Centre: 2382 0000
The Mental Health Support Hotline: 18111
This year, the FCC is partnering with nine hand-chosen charities to give back. Members are encouraged to join our “One Day’s Work” programme. From September 2024 to September 2025, members of the FCC can pledge to donate one day’s work (8 hours) to volunteer with a charity of their choice.
For more information about the FCC’s Charity Committee: https://www.fcchk.org/charity-stage-2/
To watch the full discussion, please visit the FCC’s YouTube channel:
FCC Nomination for the Board of Governors 2025–2026
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FCC Nomination for the Board of Governors 2025 – 2026 |
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Dear Members, |
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The FCC Annual Nomination Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 9 April 2025 for the purpose of accepting oral nominations for the Board of Governors for the 2025 – 2026 Term. |
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Under the provisions of the Articles of Association, nominations may also be made in writing. |
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For those who wish to make a written nomination or nominations, please use the form(s) we are sending to you by mail or you can ask from the office. The written nominations should be delivered to the Club office, either in person or by registered letter, no later than 6pm on Wednesday, 9 April 2025. |
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Nominations are invited for the following positions: |
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A President who shall be a Correspondent Member. The nomination must be made and seconded by Correspondent Members. A First Vice-President who shall be a Correspondent Member. The nomination must be made and seconded by Correspondent Members. A Second Vice-President who may be a Journalist Member or an Associate Member. The nominations may be made and seconded by Correspondent Members, Journalist Members or Associate Members. Eight (8) Correspondent Member Governors who shall be Correspondent Members. The nominations must be made and seconded by Correspondent Members. Two (2) Journalist Member Governors who shall be Journalist Members. The nominations may be made and seconded by Correspondent Members or Journalist Members. Four (4) Associate Member Governors who shall be Associate Members. The nominations may be made and seconded by any Voting Member. |
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A Member being nominated does not mean that he or she is elected a Club Officer. An election by mail ballot will be held subsequently and the mail ballot papers together with a list of candidates accepted will be sent to all Members of the Club one week after the Nomination Meeting. |
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A candidate for election to the Board of Governors can accept nomination for only one position on the Board of Governors. |
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By order of the Board of Governors, |
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Lee Williamson President |
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FCC statement on the repeated cancellation of HKJA’s fundraising dinner
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club, Hong Kong is concerned by the repeated cancellations of the Hong Kong Journalists Association’s (HKJA) annual fundraising gala by the host venues, and their implications for press freedom in the city.
HKJA is a non-profit organisation that advocates press freedom and supports journalists and journalism in Hong Kong.
If this trend of cancellations were to continue, it risks tarnishing Hong Kong’s image as an international business and financial centre.
How new technology is being used to preserve Hong Kong history
By Hugo Novales, FCC In-House Journalist
Preserving local history is a key objective of both historians and government officials in Hong Kong. The city hosts a number of museums and heritage sites, including the FCC’s very own Grade 1 historic building in the heart of Central. All of these landmarks are meticulously maintained to preserve their cultural legacy and to educate residents on their significance.
New technology and artificial intelligence (AI) has reshaped how Hong Kong historians track, update, and share their work with the public.
To talk about how these new technologies have impacted their work, the FCC invited three experts for an exclusive dinnertime talk. Speaking on the panel were Dr. Chi Man Kwong from Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), FCC member and writer Billy Potts, and Ani Mohan, a Japan-born Indian tech entrepreneur. Moderating the discussion was FCC Journalist Board Governor Joe Pan.
First to speak was Dr. Kwong. His research focuses on mapping out the aerial and naval battles of World War II, particularly the events that took place in Hong Kong. He explained that roughly six years ago, he began using more geographic information systems (GIS) and historic geospatial data in his daily work. By using these programs to process three sources of data — aerial photographs, maps and urban plans, and volumes of recorded data — Dr. Kwong is getting closer towards his goal of mapping out pre-WWII Hong Kong.
“That’s exactly the advantage of combining detailed study of a certain place through the traces of the past. It really humbles me as a historian,” he said.

Dr. Kwong’s WWII project also led him to collaborate with Billy Potts on his Hong Kong Ghost Signs project.
Throughout his presentation, Potts explained the meaning and significance of ghost signs he found around the city, and also pointed out how making your mark in history is uncommon for the majority of society.
As described by Potts, ghost signs are “defunct” and “shouldn’t exist” but still remain as faded relics of previous iterations of local society. He, along with FCC member Ben Marans, embarked on a unique project to record all the ghost signs across Hong Kong. Their photography was on display for January’s wall exhibition.
“It’s a very privileged thing to leave a record of yourself in history. Most people do not. Most people just disappear. But ordinary lives are not insignificant — they’re important, too,” he said.

In the final part of the Club Dinner, Ani Mohan shared how his family’s involvement with the Indian Foreign Service sparked his interest in learning more about Indian impact on Hong Kong’s history. He recalled a series of memoirs his grandfather left behind which detailed his experiences in the Foreign Service, which included sections on Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. For Mohan, this was eye opening and unlike anything he had ever learned in a history class.
“Everyone has an attic. Everyone has grandparents who have very valuable stories to share,” he said.

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