Hong Kong’s independent bookstores feel the squeeze

Hong Kong's independent bookstores are struggling as authorities target them under a 2024 national security law. Chinese university student Fleming Cheng discovered politically critical books in Greenfield Book Store after bypassing Beijing's internet censorship. He found perspectives diverging from the mainland's official narrative, describing the store as a space of freedom. However, the bookstore and others have now closed due to alleged sedition charges.

Many Hong Kong independent bookstores, often tucked away, have long provided a refuge for mainland Chinese readers seeking ideas suppressed at home. But now, they face a threat following a wave of arrests over alleged sedition under the 2024 law. The arrests have come in a wave, with four bookstores targeted in just four months. Greenfield was one of the four bookstores targeted, and it announced it would close its lease. Another bookstore, Have A Nice Stay, also announced plans to shut down.

The pressure on the bookstores raises concerns about Hong Kong's broader crackdown on dissent. Hong Kong, once known for its freedoms of publication and expression, is now under threat of becoming indistinguishable from mainland China. This would be a tremendous loss for mainlanders too, according to Cheng. The government insists that human rights, freedoms of speech and publication are protected, but the rules remain unclear, leaving booksellers cautious about which books to sell.