Hong Kong government to wind up Apple Daily parent company

Authorities have moved to rein in press freedoms in Hong Kong as China remoulds the once-outspoken city in its own authoritarian image, following huge and often violent democracy protests two years ago.

Earlier this year Apple Daily, the city's most popular pro-democracy newspaper, closed down after its assets were frozen using a national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong to root out dissent.

On Wednesday financial secretary Paul Chan said the government had filed a court petition to wind up Apple Daily's parent company, Next Digital Limited (NDL).

"The Financial Secretary took the view that it would be expedient in the public interest that NDL be wound up," the government said in a statement.

Hong Kong bills itself as a global business and media hub, but authorities have made clear they will move against any company or individual deemed a threat to China's national security.

The announcement came the same day staff at the city's only public broadcaster RTHK were issued more than 100 pages of new rules covering their reporting.

In recent months authorities have made efforts to turn the previously vocal and editorially independent RTHK into something much closer to the government-controlled state media on the Chinese mainland.

The new rules require RTHK to "safeguard national security" in all its reporting.

"Programmes produced or broadcast by RTHK must not contain contents which... provoke or deepen hatred, discrimination or hostility towards the central people's government... arouse others' antipathy or cause offence," read the document, which was obtained by AFP.

The new rules also warn staff away from contact with foreign governments and organisations. It also bans describing Taiwan, which China claims, as a sovereign nation with its own diplomatic relations.