Hong Kong authorities checking for 'banned books' from Taiwan, says official

Hong Kong authorities are actively inspecting books arriving from Taiwan for content deemed "banned," according to a Taiwanese official. This practice has prompted publishers on the self-ruled island to engage in self-censorship before sending titles to Hong Kong. Liang Wen-chieh, deputy minister of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), stated that Hong Kong's national security authorities are monitoring imported publications for potentially prohibited books, though no official list has been released.

This intensified scrutiny follows recent raids by Hong Kong's national security police on two independent bookstores, resulting in the arrest of five individuals for allegedly selling seditious publications. One of the books reportedly flagged was the Chinese edition of Emily Feng's "Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China." The MAC indicated that Hong Kong authorities have been inspecting nearly every book shipment from Taiwan since March, a significant increase from previous infrequent checks.

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So far, they have not publicised a list of books they consider prohibited. We can only collect information on a case-by-case basis regarding the books and their nature.

Publishers are now self-censoring their works before shipping them to Hong Kong. Liang noted that the city has changed considerably. A Hong Kong logistics firm's Taiwan branch has also reportedly informed clients it will not ship "prohibited books" to comply with Beijing's national security law, and will avoid bookstores under government investigation. Hong Kong's Customs and Excise Department stated it safeguards national security and will detain suspected seditious shipments for police investigation.

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I can only say Hong Kong is now very different from the city we used to know.