NGO concerned about South China Morning Post reporter Minnie Chan, 3 years after apparent disappearance

NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has raised concerns over the apparent disappearance of South China Morning Post (SCMP) reporter Minnie Chan, nearly three years ago. Chan, known for her work on defence issues, was last heard from in October 2023 while covering the Xiangshan Forum, a three-day security conference in Beijing. RSF claims that various Chinese sources believe Chan is being held by the Chinese regime on undisclosed national-security charges, and could face up to ten years in prison.

However, RSF could not verify this information or locate concrete evidence of her detention in a Tuesday press release.

Aleksandra Bielakowska, advocacy manager at RSF’s Asia-Pacific office, urged for Chan's immediate release and transparency regarding her whereabouts. When queried about Chan in 2023, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin admitted unawareness of the matter. RSF had previously reached out to SCMP for information on Chan's current status, detention, and any charges against her, as well as support should she be detained.

However, SCMP remained silent, threatening legal action over HKFP's initial coverage of the story without refuting the allegations. The SCMP declined to comment to HKFP on Tuesday.

China is home to the world's largest prison for journalists, with over 100 currently incarcerated. Chinese Bloomberg journalist Haze Fan was detained in 2020 and released on bail in 2022, while Australian journalist Cheng Lei spent time in detention in 2020 and was released in 2023. In 2015, Hong Kong bookseller Gui Minhai disappeared in Thailand before being imprisoned in China.