The exteriors of the bookstore ‘Have A Good Keep’ is seen in Prince Edward district, Hong Kong, Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
Kanis Leung/AP
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Kanis Leung/AP
HONG KONG — Hong Kong ‘s prime safety official mentioned Thursday that booksellers ought to make sure the titles they promote don’t hurt nationwide safety, a day after 5 folks linked to 2 bookstores had been arrested.
The police operation on Wednesday was the third spherical of arrests concentrating on unbiased bookstores inside 4 months. Critics have raised considerations over the town’s freedom of expression beneath what they referred to as a unclear purple line.
However Secretary for Safety Chris Tang instructed reporters on the legislative constructing that the legislation is obvious.
“In case you are a bookseller, you could have the duty to verify the books you promote will not endanger nationwide safety,” he mentioned. “It is equal to, for instance, when you’re promoting meals, it’s worthwhile to make sure the meals will not trigger a abdomen ache and isn’t both poison or unlawful.”
Requested if authorities would make an inventory of banned books, Tang mentioned that might not be conducive to efficient legislation enforcement concentrating on titles that “intend to hurt the nation.”
“We won’t let criminals off the hook like this,” he mentioned.
On Wednesday, police raided Have A Good Keep, a bookshop based by a bunch of former journalists, and the longstanding Greenfield E-book Retailer. Police mentioned the 5 individuals who had been arrested had been suspected of displaying seditious supplies and promoting seditious publications.
A police assertion alleged that the content material stirred up hatred towards the town’s authorities, judiciary and legislation enforcement businesses.
Have A Good Keep had already introduced it could shut down on Aug. 30. In a social media submit, it mentioned monetary difficulties and an elusive purple line had been among the many elements.
It mentioned it can not learn via each single e-book and lacks the flexibility to evaluate what books are “problematic.”
In March, police additionally arrested the proprietor and employees of the unbiased E-book Punch retailer, reportedly on suspicion of promoting seditious publications. They included the biography of former pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was sentenced to twenty years in jail in his nationwide safety case.
In June, Hong Kong police arrested two booksellers on suspicion of promoting seditious publications and receiving funds from overseas political organizations.
In Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy that China claims as its personal, President Lai Ching-te famous Hong Kong’s freedom of expression and publication are beneath strain in a Fb submit.
“Each unbiased bookstore is important in guarding free thought,” he mentioned.
Liang Wen-chieh, deputy minister of Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, instructed reporters that some Taiwanese publishers have self-censored their record of books when taking part in a Hong Kong e-book truthful.
