A prominent journalist from the Apple Daily newspaper, which is critical of China, has been arrested in Hong Kong.
Fung Wai Kong was arrested at the Chinese Special Administrative Region airport on Sunday when he was leaving Hong Kong, local media reported on Monday.
"Apple Daily" was published for the last week after the Hong Kong authorities had massively increased the pressure on the paper, which is allied with the democracy movement.
Fung Wai Kong, 57, was the senior commentary writer on the Apple Daily website.
He published his articles under the name Lo Fung.
The Hong Kong police confirmed the arrest of a 57-year-old man at the airport for "plotting with foreign states or powers" to "endanger national security."
The police did not give the name of the arrested person.
However, several media outlets reported that it was Fung Wai Kong.
Several other Apple Daily executives had been arrested in the previous days, including Editor-in-Chief Ryan Law and Chief Executive Officer Kim Hung.
In addition, the newspaper's accounts were frozen and dozens of computers and servers were seized in a raid.
The basis for the action of the Hong Kong authorities against the tabloid is the so-called security law from last year. The law was enacted by the Beijing leadership in response to mass protests by the Hong Kong democracy movement. It allows the authorities to crack down on any activity that they believe threatens national security. Violations can be punished with life imprisonment.
"Apple Daily" has long been a thorn in the side of Beijing leadership.
The paper consistently supported the democracy movement.
The last issue appeared on Thursday.
In many places it was sold out within a few minutes.
The freedom of the press in Hong Kong has recently been increasingly curtailed.
The Special Administrative Region fell in the ranking of press freedom compiled by the organization Reporters Without Borders from 18th place in 2002 to 80th place this year.
When it was handed over to China in 1997, the former British crown colony of Hong Kong had been granted special rights for 50 years, including freedom of assembly and expression.
Western states see the so-called security law as a massive curtailment of this special status.
dja / mkü
APPLE INC.