State-funded video series and cross-border media deals accelerate Beijing’s mission to rewrite Hong Kong’s story
A New Video Series and a Script Written in Beijing
A state-run media center in China’s Guangxi province and a Hong Kong newspaper controlled by Beijing’s liaison office jointly launched a short-video series in February, the latest move in a systematic campaign to fold Hong Kong’s media ecosystem into the mainland’s propaganda architecture. The Guangxi International Communication Center and the Hong Kong Commercial Daily debuted “GBA Insights” on February 25, 2026. The debut episode sent journalists aboard a high-speed rail from Nanning to Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station, packaging the journey as a celebration of Greater Bay Area integration. The Hong Kong Commercial Daily is not an independent outlet. It is a Chinese state-owned broadsheet published by the Shenzhen Press Group and controlled by the Hong Kong Liaison Office — Beijing’s primary political arm in the city. It is one of only three Hong Kong newspapers permitted to circulate freely on the mainland, a status that reflects its function as a reliable conduit for Beijing’s messaging.
RTHK’s Independence Was Signed Away
The Guangxi-Hong Kong tie-up is part of a growing pattern documented by the China Media Project. In June 2025, RTHK — Hong Kong’s once-independent public broadcaster — signed a memorandum of cooperation with Guangzhou Broadcasting Network, effectively completing its transformation from a genuine public broadcaster into a state media organ. RTHK had already been gutted when its editorial independence was terminated and its leadership replaced with government loyalists. The broadcaster once aired investigative journalism critical of the government. Today it functions as a platform for official messaging.
The Greater Bay Area as a Narrative Weapon
The Greater Bay Area framework — Beijing’s plan to economically and culturally fuse Hong Kong and Macau with nine cities in Guangdong province — is not merely an economic development project. It is also a narrative strategy. By presenting cross-border travel, trade, and cultural exchange as natural and beneficial, Beijing seeks to normalize the erasure of Hong Kong’s distinct political identity. Future episodes of “GBA Insights” are planned around trade cooperation, cultural exchange, and youth entrepreneurship — all themes carefully chosen to present integration as opportunity rather than absorption.
The City That Once Led Asia in Press Freedom
The transformation of Hong Kong’s media landscape has been one of the most dramatic and dispiriting chapters in the city’s post-2020 story. The pro-democracy Apple Daily was forced to close in June 2021 after police froze its assets and arrested its founder Jimmy Lai. Stand News and Citizen News followed. Hong Kong once ranked among the freest press environments in Asia. Today it sits near the bottom of Reporters Without Borders press freedom rankings for the region.
Why This Matters Beyond Hong Kong
The mainlandization of Hong Kong’s media is a test case for how authoritarian governments use economic leverage, legal coercion, and institutional capture to neutralize independent journalism in societies that once enjoyed genuine press freedom. What has happened to Hong Kong’s press illustrates the playbook Beijing may eventually seek to apply elsewhere.
Documentation Is Resistance
Despite the bleak landscape, documentation continues. Organizations like the China Media Project, Reporters Without Borders, and the Committee to Protect Journalists maintain detailed records of what has been lost. The international community must not mistake glossy state-funded video content for genuine media pluralism. The story of Hong Kong’s media is a story of what happens when a government decides that truth is a threat to power — and acts accordingly.
Senior Journalist & Editor, Apple Daily UK
Contact: athena.lai@appledaily.uk
Athena Lai is a senior journalist and editor with extensive experience in Chinese-language investigative reporting and editorial leadership. Educated at a leading journalism school in the United Kingdom, Athena received formal training in fact-checking methodology, editorial governance, and international media standards, grounding her work in globally recognized best practices.
She has held senior editorial roles at Apple Daily and other liberal Chinese publications, where she oversaw coverage of Hong Kong civil liberties, diaspora politics, rule of law, and press freedom. Athena’s reporting is distinguished by disciplined sourcing, cross-verification, and a clear separation between factual reporting and opinion, reinforcing reader trust.
Beyond reporting, Athena has served as an editor responsible for mentoring journalists, enforcing ethical guidelines, and managing sensitive investigations. Her newsroom leadership reflects real-world experience navigating legal risk, source protection, and editorial independence under pressure.
Athena’s authority comes from both her byline history and her editorial stewardship. She has reviewed and approved hundreds of articles, ensuring compliance with defamation standards, accuracy benchmarks, and responsible language use. Her work demonstrates lived experience within high-stakes news environments rather than theoretical expertise.
Committed to journalistic integrity, Athena believes credible journalism is built on transparency, accountability, and institutional memory. Her role at Apple Daily UK reflects that commitment, positioning her as a trusted voice within independent Chinese media.
