The Asian American Journalists Association’s Asia Chapter (AAJA-Asia) expresses serious concerns about the arrest of Haze Fan, a Chinese-national working for Bloomberg News in Beijing, and asks for Chinese authorities to be transparent of the charges against Fan and to ensure that her rights to legal assistance are upheld.
Fan has been missing since December 7, and Chinese authorities have detained her on suspicion of engaging in activities that endanger national security, according to Bloomberg.
Fan began working for the news organization in 2017 and previously worked for CNBC, CBS News, Al Jazeera, and Thomson Reuters.
AAJA-Asia expresses solidarity with all local journalists working for international media in China and advocates for the respect of their fundamental rights and freedom to carry out their work. Chinese nationals are pivotal to support the work of international media outlets in China as their expertise and local knowledge ensure stories are accurate and reflect what’s happening in the country.
AAJA-Asia seeks clarity on why the Chinese authorities detained Haze Fan and calls upon international press freedom organizations to closely monitor her case.
-AAJA-Asia Board of Directors