Hong Kong Independent Bookstores Face Closures and Security Crackdowns Amid Rising Customs Scrutiny

Hong Kong national security police arrested staff from independent bookstores Have a Nice Stay and Greenfield Bookstore in July 2026 for alleged sedition under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (Article 23). The crackdown follows the seizure of Taiwanese book shipments containing titles critical of the Chinese government, signaling an escalating effort to restrict political literature entering the city.

The arrests mark a critical inflection point for the city’s intellectual landscape. This isn’t just about a few shops closing; it’s a systemic squeeze on the supply chain of ideas. By targeting the logistics of how books move from Taiwan to Hong Kong, authorities are effectively creating a “silent” ban list, forcing booksellers to operate in a state of constant guesswork.

Article 23 and the Targeting of Taiwanese Shipments

The recent wave of closures stems from a specific trigger: the interception of overseas shipments. According to a government statement, Customs seized a batch of books with “seditious intention” originating from Taiwan. Among the flagged titles was Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China, which features interviews with exiled Hong Kong protesters and persecuted ethnic minorities, including Uyghurs and Mongolians.

This seizure follows the March 2026 introduction of new rules empowering Customs to seize any material suspected of carrying seditious intent. The impact on the ground is immediate. Book Punch, another independent outlet, shared evidence on the social platform Threads showing shipments repeatedly stamped “examined by H.K. Customs & Excise Service.”

For booksellers, these inspections are more than a legal hurdle; they are a financial drain. One bookseller, identified as M, told HKFP that since late 2025, up to two out of every three shipments have been inspected, causing delays of up to a week. These delays push customers toward Taiwanese e-commerce sites like Books.com.tw, where delivery takes only three days.

The Erosion of the Independent Book Trade

The crackdown extends beyond sudden arrests. A pattern of administrative pressure has emerged, combining tax probes with municipal inspections. Some independent publishers and bookstores have faced extensive audits by the Inland Revenue Department, involving years of personal and business financial records.

Government officers have also increased visits to shops to check fire exit compliance and event licensing. Book Punch was fined HK$6,000 in May 2026 for hosting a stand-up comedy show without an entertainment license.

The scale of the closures is accelerating:

• Have a Nice Stay: Closed permanently in July 2026 following staff arrests.
• Greenfield Bookstore: A 50-year-old institution announcing closure in February 2027.
• Elmbook: Scheduled to close in April 2027.
• Book Punch & Hunter Bookstore: Both saw staff apprehended earlier this year.

This environment has forced a shift in how literature is produced. Tang Siu Wa, editor-in-chief of Taiwan’s Gotta Press, notes a growing trend of Hong Kong writers publishing their work in Taiwan to avoid local scrutiny. This migration of intellectual property creates a vacuum in the local market that is being filled by state-owned giants like Sino United Publishing, which controls mainstream outlets such as JP Books and Commercial Press.

Logistical Collapse and the Taiwan Connection

Taiwan is the world’s largest publisher of traditional Chinese books, and Hong Kong has historically been its primary export destination. However, the “inseparable relationship” between the two markets is fraying. Jaguar Logistics, a firm used by several independent shops, issued a notice stating it will no longer courier “prohibited publications” or ship to bookstores under government investigation.

Jonathan Hung, editor-in-chief of Acropolis Publishing, reports a noticeable decline in orders from Hong Kong bookstores for history and politics titles. While this is not financially debilitating for Taiwanese houses, it signals a shrinking intellectual corridor between the two regions.

The problem is now a logistical one. When shipping firms refuse service, bookstores lose their only viable source of non-mainstream content. To survive, some are attempting to vet new logistics providers, though the risk remains high.

The Disappearance of the ‘Red Line’

The most pervasive issue for those remaining in the trade is the lack of a formal banned book list. Booksellers are left to guess where the “red lines” are based on which titles disappear from public libraries or are barred from the annual Hong Kong Book Fair.

Public libraries began removing titles regarding the 2019 protests and the Tiananmen crackdown as early as 2021. More recently, non-political books—including a sex education text by the late Shiu Ka-chun—were also removed.

A bookseller identified as K told HKFP that it was hard to know where the red lines were.

This ambiguity creates a chilling effect. Even books that are not explicitly banned are often avoided. For example, K noted that after selling 70 copies of Chris Patten’s Hong Kong Diaries, she chose not to re-import the title despite no official order to do so.

The collapse of these independent spaces leaves a gap in the community that cannot be filled by commercial bestsellers. As the city’s independent publishers lose their primary sales channels, many face the same fate as the bookstores they supplied.

The closure of a 50-year-old shop like Greenfield Bookstore is more than a business failure; it is the erasure of a curated history. As the remaining independent outlets wind down their leases, the ability of Hong Kong residents to access diverse political thought is shifting from the storefront to the encrypted screen, leaving the physical city more silent than it has been in decades.