- Mainland Chinese officials told reporter Jack Tsang he was banned ‘for next few days’, according to broadcaster
- New security checks in force near mega bridge, with President Xi Jinping appearing at handover celebrations
A journalist has been denied entry to Macau to cover the 20th anniversary of its handover to China, his employer has said.
Jack Tsang, a reporter from Hong Kong's Now TV News, was heading to Macau by coach over the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on Monday when he was stopped and questioned at a new checkpoint manned by officials from mainland China, the broadcaster reported.
The reporter was held for more than two hours and told he was denied entry "for the next few days", according to an account published on the news company's website.
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A photographer from the same media outlet who was travelling with the reporter was allowed to enter the city.
Both journalists had registered with the Macau authorities in advance, the television network said.
Now TV is the pay-television service unit of PCCW Media, whose chairman is Richard Li Tzar-kai, son of Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing.
Security on the world's longest sea crossing has been tightened ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to the former Portuguese colony on Wednesday to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its handover to China.
According to Now News, the two journalists arrived at 2.45pm on Monday at the temporary checkpoint, set up last week on an artificial island close to the Hong Kong section of the bridge.
The reporter was searched and photographed before he was put on a coach back to Hong Kong at 5.30pm, the broadcaster said.
Now TV said it would still send reporters to Macau on Wednesday.
The company said it did not believe the refusal had anything to do with the station's coverage of the anti-government protests in Hong Kong, because its photographer was granted entry.
Mainland officials confirmed the detention of a Hong Kong man at the same checkpoint on Monday.
Chung Sun-ming, 53, was accused of being involved in the smuggling of mobile phones in August 2012.
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The Zhuhai public security bureau earlier revealed that a new checkpoint was to be established on an artificial island in mainland waters from December 10 to 22, to "create a good social environment" for the anniversary celebrations.
On December 7, the chairman and president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Robert Grieves and Tara Joseph, were also denied entry to Macau and detained for several hours without any public explanation.
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