Hong Kong has plummeted to 148th place in Reporters Without Borders’ annual index on press freedom, a drop of nearly 70 places in a single year.
The sharp descent is the result of new national security legislation imposed in 2020 and the revival of colonial-era anti-sedition laws dating back to the 1930s.
The Chinese territory now ranks just below the Philippines and Sri Lanka, and slightly above Turkey and India.
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam says that Hong Kong’s press freedom was as vibrant as ever citing the large number of regional and international institutions operating in Hong Kong alongside local media.