AFP

A Hong Kong journalist group said Friday it was "very concerned" about the safety of an award-winning defence reporter who was reportedly missing after attending a security forum in Beijing.

Minnie Chan, a reporter with Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) specialising in defence and diplomacy issues in China, "became unreachable" after visiting Beijing to cover the Xiangshan Forum in late October, Japanese news agency Kyodo said, citing her friends.

The SCMP told Kyodo that Chan was currently "on personal leave" but did not disclose further details.

"The Hong Kong Journalists Association is very concerned about Minnie Chan's safety and is asking South China Morning Post to learn more," the association said in a statement Friday.

It also urged relatives and friends to reach out with more information.

Chan, the SCMP and Beijing's foreign ministry all did not respond to AFP's requests for comment.

According to the Hong Kong broadsheet's website, Chan's most recent articles were from the Xiangshan Forum, which ended on October 31.

She also wrote about the Chinese military's overhaul and the abrupt sacking of Chinese defence chief Li Shangfu.

AFP