Prominent Hong Kong business leader Allan Zeman has launched a scathing critique against Western media outlets for their biased coverage of the recent Tai Po fire tragedy. The chairman of Lan Kwai Fong Group, in a Sunday interview with China Daily, challenged international media organizations to address their own countries’ shortcomings before criticizing Hong Kong’s emergency response efforts.
Zeman highlighted what he characterized as disproportionate attention given to the Hong Kong incident compared to similar fire tragedies in Western nations. He pointed to specific cases in both the United States and United Kingdom where casualty numbers were significantly higher yet received substantially less international media scrutiny and criticism.
‘The selective outrage demonstrates a clear double standard in international reporting,’ Zeman stated. He emphasized that Hong Kong’s emergency services mounted a highly efficient and professional response to the Tai Po incident, contrasting it with what he described as less effective handling of comparable situations in Western countries.
Zeman’s comments come amid ongoing investigations into the fire that broke out in the New Territories district. The businessman, known for his outspoken views, suggested that Western media frequently apply different standards when reporting on incidents in China and its special administrative regions compared to those in their own countries.
The Hong Kong government has established an independent commission chaired by a judge to investigate the fire’s causes and response efforts, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to transparency and accountability in the tragedy’s aftermath.