Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily said on Wednesday it has been banned from the Shanghai Expo.

The paper is known for supporting democratic reform, and usually does not get accreditation for official events in mainland China.

Apple Daily said it applied to the Shanghai Expo last month for more than 10 journalists to cover the event. Although the Shanghai Expo already granted press credentials to other Hong Kong media earlier this month, the Apple Daily is still waiting for their applications to be approved.

Spokesperson for the Shanghai Expo Media Center Xu Wei told the AFP on Wednesday that “all media organizations are welcome to cover [the] Expo.” When asked about the ban of any organizations, Xu said he had “no information on that.”

Apple Daily’s Chief Editor Cheng Ming-yan said on Thursday they have no choice but to give up on covering the Expo. He criticized authorities in China for suppressing press freedom, saying such behavior it is out of sync with the international community.

Apple Daily says a separate application for accreditation to cover a delegation of Hong Kong legislators visiting the World Expo has also fallen on deaf ears. That application was made to the Chinese regime’s liaison office in Hong Kong.

Founded in 1995, Apple Daily has been an outspoken advocate for democracy in Hong Kong. It’s also critical of policies of the Chinese regime and Hong Kong’s pro-regime lawmakers.