By Andrew Trunsky
\nDaily Caller News Foundation
\nSecretary of State Antony Blinken \u2026<\/b>
\nBy Andrew Trunsky Daily Caller News Foundation Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday slammed Hong Kong police\u2019s raid of Stand News and the arrest of seven of its employees, calling out China\u2019s \u201ctargeting\u201d of free press. \u201cJournalism is not sedition,\u201d Blinken said, calling on the Hong Kong authorities to \u201cimmediately\u201d release the journalists arrested on the grounds that they were \u201cunjustly detained and charged.\u201d \u201cFreedom of expression, including media freedom, and access to information provided by an independent media are critical to prosperous and secure societies,\u201d Blinken said in a statement. \u201cThese freedoms enabled Hong Kong to flourish as a global center for finance, trade, education, and culture.\u201d \u201cBy silencing independent media, PRC and local authorities undermine Hong Kong\u2019s credibility and viability,\u201d Blinken said. \u201cA confident government that is unafraid of the truth embraces a free press.\u201d Hundreds of Hong Kong police officers carried out the raid Wednesday, the latest in a series of crackdowns at the hands of Beijing\u2019s communist regime. Stand News, a pro-democracy outlet, said after the raid that it would shut down immediately. \u201cStand News\u2019s editorial policy was to be independent and committed to safeguarding Hong Kong\u2019s core values of democracy, human rights, freedom, the rule of law and justice,\u201d the announcement said, The New York Times reported. \u201cThank you, readers, for your continued support.\u201d The crackdown is not the first carried out by Hong Kong\u2019s government as China moves to reassert control over the semi-autonomous territory. In 2020, the Chinese Communist Party passed a national security law in an attempt to quell pro-democracy protests, some of which turned violent. Police also raided Apple Daily, another pro-democracy outlet in Hong Kong, earlier this year, and they arrested Jimmy Lai, its top executive, ultimately forcing the organization to shut down. Hong Kong\u2019s pro-Beijing leader, Carrie Lam, has yet to comment on the raid and how newsrooms can avoid being raided by police in the future. SUPPORT TRUTHFUL JOURNALISM. MAKE A DONATION TO THE NONPROFIT WND NEWS CENTER. THANK YOU!<\/p>\n