HKFP Monitor July 19, 2025: Revived talk of ‘soft resistance,' reactions to Jimmy O. Yang's tête-à-tête with John Lee

HKFP

19-07-2025

This week, we look at how top officials revived talk of 'soft resistance' as the national security law hit its five-year mark, while indie publishers launched their own book fair amid mounting scrutiny.
We're also following a scandal at HKU involving AI-generated porn that surfaced on social media, a series of full-page attacks in state media targeting policy think tank Liber Research Community, and reactions to comedian Jimmy O. Yang's tête-à-tête with Hong Kong's leader.
'SOFT RESISTANCE' BUZZWORD RETURNS
Top Hong Kong officials raised alarm over 'soft resistance' last month, as the city marked five years since the Beijing-imposed national security law came into effect.
Culture minister Rosanna Law said it could show up in songs, performances, or storylines. Development chief Bernadette Linn warned it might even pop up during city planning. In short, it could be just about anywhere.
The renewed focus signals a wider crackdown on perceived ideological threats, although the legal definition remains unclear. On June 30, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam tried to clarify.
What is soft resistance? Lam said it involves three things: spreading false or misleading info, doing it in an overly emotional or irrational way, and trying to stir up misunderstandings about Hong Kong or Beijing policies.
His explanation wasn't far off from what pro-establishment commentator Lau Siu-kai said back in 2021, after the term was first floated by then China Liaison Office chief Luo Huining.
As authorities vowed to step up scrutiny, playwright Candace Chong warned that hunting for 'soft resistance' could turn into a campaign that 'disturbs people' and hurts local artists.
Is it illegal? Security chief Chris Tang said in 2023 that Hong Kong's Article 23 security law would tackle 'soft resistance.' But the term isn't in the actual ordinance and has only come up in one court case — involving a busker playing a protest anthem. How the law will be used against such loosely defined threats remains to be seen.
Every summer, Hong Kong's biggest literary event – the Hong Kong Book Fair – brings together publishers from across the city. But since the national security law kicked in, the fair has been under tighter scrutiny.
The organiser, the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council (HKTDC), has received complaints about suspected violations and has barred some publishers over books related to the 2019 protests – sometimes even asking for specific titles to be pulled from shelves.
In response, 14 indie publishers have once again launched their own event at Hunter Bookstore, now in its third year. Among them are Boundary Bookstore and Bbluesky, who say they were asked to remove certain books last year – and banned from this year's Hong Kong Book Fair.
The pressure doesn't stop there. HKFP has learned that at least six independent publishers are facing tax investigations (tune in to our report on Sunday). Directors said authorities have requested detailed financial records, including personal transaction reports and bank statements going back to before some of the companies even existed.
This year's alternative fair runs from Thursday to Sunday. So far, organisers say there's been no sign of government inspections — unlike last year, when officials showed up the day before opening, citing a complaint over the venue's entertainment licence.
Beijing-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po ran full-page attacks targeting policy think tank Liber Research Community for three consecutive days this month.
In its first article on July 8, the paper accused Liber of 'soft resistance' and using 'pseudoscience' as a cover. It cited remarks made by a Liber researcher at a forum on ecotourism, which was moved online after the original venue at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) was abruptly cancelled due to 'urgent maintenance.'
On July 9, Wen Wei Po criticised a Liber-Greenpeace report on Hong Kong's ecotourism policies, accusing the group of 'blind opposition' and a 'narrow' approach to conservation.
The final piece on July 10 slammed Liber's study comparing airport retail prices with those in the city and at Taipei airport. The paper said the NGO had 'vilified' Hong Kong tourism and claimed its own checks found the price differences weren't significant.
Brian Wong, a researcher at Liber, defended the think tank's research as well-founded, adding that its policy recommendations were 'for the benefit of Hong Kong's people and environment.'
'Our last report was solid, with methodologies, data, and case studies,' Wong told HKFP on July 8, adding that the NGO would continue its work.
'If they think what we're putting out is pseudoscience, more information is needed to substantiate their claim,' he said.
Addressing the 'soft resistance' accusation, Wong said: 'We are just conducting research and making suggestions for the benefit of Hong Kong's people and environment.'
HKU backlash: A scandal involving AI-generated porn images that broke on social media last weekend has prompted the city's privacy watchdog to launch a criminal probe.
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is facing backlash after a law student allegedly used AI to create pornographic images of women – including some female classmates – without their consent.
The incident came to light after three victims took to Instagram with accusations, saying the student had admitted to using social media screenshots to create explicit images using free AI tools.
They posted on a page called 'hku.nfolderincident' – a name referencing South Korea's infamous 'Nth Room' cybersex trafficking case – which had over 2,470 followers as of Friday.
According to the victims, the images were discovered by the student's friends on his computer. They estimated that around 20 to 30 women may have been affected.
HKU came under fire for being 'too lenient' after only issuing a warning letter to the student. On Friday, the school said the letter did not mark the end of the matter.
Jimmy O: Friend or foe? Also causing a stir, Hong Kong-born American comedian Jimmy O. Yang stirred debate online after his management company shared photos of him with Chief Executive John Lee during his visit to the city last month.
Some Reddit users said they were glad they skipped the comedian's sold-out shows, accusing him of using his Hong Kong identity for profit. Others defended him, noting that the meeting and his paid collaboration with the Tourism Board were arranged by the government.
Similar chatter popped up on Threads and Instagram, where some said it was 'smart' of O. Yang to post the photos after his shows, adding that being friendly with the city's leader was 'nothing personal, just business.'
Hong Kong's biggest national security case saw new developments this week, as both prosecutors and jailed pro-democracy figures challenged the verdicts and sentences tied to the 2020 unofficial legislative primary election.
The charge of conspiracy to commit subversion landed 45 democrats in jail, with sentences ranging from just over four years to a decade. The judges said it could take up to nine months before they decide on the appeals.