CNBC latest to pull back from Hong Kong as local office closes, shows axed

CNBC has announced the closure of its Hong Kong office as part of a broader programming and production restructuring, according to Bloomberg. This move comes alongside the axing of several daily shows such as Inside India, The China Connection, and Europe Early Edition. CNBC Meets and Built for Billions will also reportedly be discontinued.

The US broadcaster stated that international editorial coverage will be led from London, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, and Beijing, with the Hong Kong bureau closing. CNBC faced over a dozen layoffs this year after the media conglomerate Comcast spun off the business news channel and its sister network MS NOW into a new entity called Versant Media Group.

In recent years, Hong Kong has seen several international news operations reduce or exit the city entirely. Yahoo reduced its local presence in April after 27 years, while the Wall Street Journal relocated its Asia headquarters to Singapore in 2024. The New York Times shifted a third of its Hong Kong staff to South Korea in 2020 for security law concerns, and Bloomberg, the Financial Times, and the Associated Press have faced visa difficulties for their staff.

Hong Kong's international press freedom rankings have significantly declined since the implementation of the 2020 and 2024 security laws, which have led to journalist arrests, newsroom raids, and the closure of around 10 media outlets. Chief Executive John Lee has claimed that press freedom is "in the pocket" of Hongkongers but noted that nobody is above the law. Despite this, government departments have been hesitant to respond to story pitches.