How an escalating crackdown on Hong Kong’s independent bookstores put Taiwan publishers in the spotlight

In Hong Kong, a series of raids on independent bookstores have put the relationship between local booksellers and Taiwanese publishers under scrutiny. On July 15, 2026, Helen discovered that her favorite bookstore, Have a Nice Stay, had permanently closed. The store had announced its closure in July due to financial difficulties and "unclear" political red lines.

However, the bookstore was shut down unexpectedly on the day of its announcement. The same day, staff members from Greenfield Bookstore were arrested under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, also known as Article 23. This followed the announcement of Elmbook's closure in early July.

Since March 2022, several other independent bookshops have faced arrests by national security police. In March, staff from Book Punch were detained, and in June, employees from Hunter Bookstore were apprehended. Despite being unassuming retailers with decades of history, Elmtree and Luck Win were targeted this time. The arrests have highlighted the close ties between Hong Kong bookshops and Taiwanese publishers, raising concerns about the future of the city's independent bookstores.

Customs officials intercepted a shipment of books with seditious intentions and allegedly originating from Taiwan. The book Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China includes interviews with persecuted groups and Hong Kong protesters in exile. Hong Kong's reliance on books published in Taiwan, which is the world's largest publisher of traditional Chinese books, has been significant due to the shared use of traditional Chinese characters and cultural similarities.

The government's decision to prevent independent bookshops from attending the Hong Kong Book Fair since 2022 has contributed to the recent crackdown.