Chinese university student Fleming Cheng discovered politically sensitive books in a Hong Kong bookstore last year.
Before visiting Greenfield Book Store, Cheng could only view the books’ covers online after circumventing Beijing’s internet censorship with a VPN. Inside the store, he selected a title presenting a critical view of China and read extensively from another work about a reformist Chinese leader who was ousted for supporting Tiananmen Square protesters in 1989.
Cheng noted that the books offered viewpoints that contrasted with the official mainland narrative.
“It is a space of freedom,” he said.
Hong Kong’s independent bookstores, often hidden away from bustling streets within buildings, have long provided a refuge and a window to a freer world for some mainland Chinese readers seeking ideas suppressed at home.
However, these spaces are now under threat after a wave of bookstore owners were arrested on alleged sedition charges under the 2024 national security law. Critics argue that the situation mirrors a broader crackdown on dissent that began after Beijing enacted a separate security law in 2020. Authorities maintain that both laws are essential for stability.
Greenfield was one of four bookstores targeted by police within four months. Though bail was granted, the 50‑year‑old shop announced in July that it would close when its lease expires. The former‑journalist‑run Have A Nice Stay had already planned to shut down on Sunday, citing vague “red lines” and financial strain, before its booksellers were arrested on the same day as Greenfield’s.
Booksellers under pressure
Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to China in 1997, was once celebrated for its freedom of publication and expression.
In 2015, bookseller Lam Wing‑kee and four associates from Causeway Bay Books vanished. The shop was known for selling politically sensitive titles. Lam later told reporters he was detained by Chinese authorities and disclosed explosive details that contradicted official Chinese accounts. Soon after, gossipy political books disappeared from Hong Kong’s shelves.
After the 2020 security law took effect, leading activists were arrested and civil society groups disbanded. Titles about the Tiananmen crackdown and works by pro‑democracy politicians were removed from public libraries. At the city’s annual book fair, some smaller businesses were barred from exhibiting, and a pro‑Beijing newspaper described an independent book fair as a form of “soft resistance.”
Despite the pressure and increased official inspections, many continued to operate, with some organizing activities alongside selling books.
But the arrests struck Book Punch in March, Hunter Bookstore in June, and Greenfield and Have A Nice Stay in July. Authorities accused the booksellers of selling seditious publications, according to government statements and media reports.
Cautious booksellers say they struggle to interpret the rules
Authorities state that statements with “seditious intention” intended to incite hatred against or overthrow the governments of China and Hong Kong are prohibited. However, they have not specified which books are deemed seditious, leaving observers to infer from news reports quoting anonymous sources.
Security Secretary Chris Tang said the law clearly defines seditious intent and reiterated that there is no banned book list. He urged booksellers to ensure the titles they sell do not threaten national security, just as food sellers must ensure their products are not harmful.
A bookseller, who requested anonymity out of fear of government retaliation, said they struggled to determine what was seditious. Nonetheless, they have become more cautious about selling certain books on modern Chinese politics. Their landlord is also reviewing whether to continue renting the space after being harassed.
In an emailed reply, the government condemned any “smearing” or false remarks concerning national‑security work. It said the security laws explicitly protect human rights, freedom of speech, and publication.
The offenses linked to seditious intention expressly protect the expression of opinions, even criticism of government policies, it said.
Spaces for refuge and companionship
University student Iris Wang, from neighboring Guangdong, sensed tighter control over Hong Kong. To her, Hunter encouraged critical thinking rather than merely selling books like its mainland peers. She purchased a courageous‑themed postcard and a manga there.
Some mainland readers also visit the stores for non‑political reasons, such as niche titles or simply for the tranquil atmosphere.
Hong Konger Brian Leung found companionship in independent bookstores, noting each had its own character. When arrests occurred at the shops he visited, he said he felt that something cherished by Hong Kong was being rejected.
“Part of what I have grown accustomed to in Hong Kong is being lost again,” he said, adding that the bookshops have not “incited” him because readers can judge for themselves.
Concerns over Hong Kong’s access to Taiwanese books
In Taiwan, widely regarded as the freest publishing hub for Chinese‑language books, some publishers have filled the gap as restrictions deepened in Hong Kong after the 2020 security law took effect. Some readers fear that one day Taiwan may no longer be able to send books to Hong Kong freely.
Taiwan’s publishers released six times as many books about Hong Kong between 2020 and 2024 as they did in the previous five years, according to Cheng Tsu‑Bang, a sociology professor at Tunghai University in Taiwan.
“The publication of books appears to have become a vital medium of communication between Taiwan and Hong Kong, and a form of mutual support,” he said.
In July, Taiwan’s broadcaster FTV reported that a logistics firm halted orders to ship books from Taiwan to Hong Kong bookstores under investigation and began requiring a full book list before delivering to other Hong Kong locations, the report added.
Hong Kong author Lee, who moved to Taiwan and has published books there, spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of government retaliation.
Lee has written about Hong Kong’s pro‑democracy movement, saying independent bookstores served as a bridge to bring works about Hong Kong to the city and connect diaspora writers with their homeland.
The writer compared the collapse of civil society to a boulder rolling downhill, crushing everything in its path. Lee said bookstores were a small flower field where people could breathe and attempt to safeguard what remained.