Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang stated Thursday that booksellers are responsible for ensuring their inventory does not violate national security laws. The statement followed a police operation on Wednesday in which five individuals associated with two independent bookstores, Have A Nice Stay and Greenfield Book Store, were arrested. Police alleged the shops displayed and sold seditious materials intended to incite hatred against the government and judiciary.
Tang compared the responsibility of booksellers to that of food vendors, stating they must ensure their products are not harmful. When asked if the government would provide a list of banned titles, Tang declined, stating that such a list would not assist in law enforcement efforts against those intending to harm the country. This operation represents the third round of arrests involving independent bookstores in Hong Kong over the past four months.
Critics and bookstore owners have expressed concern regarding the lack of specific guidelines for what constitutes seditious material. Have A Nice Stay, which had previously announced it would close in August, stated it lacked the capacity to vet every book for potential legal issues. Conversely, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te stated on social media that free expression in Hong Kong is under pressure, while Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council noted that some publishers have begun self-censoring to participate in Hong Kong events.