Hong Kong publishers join independent book fair after government block
Authorities have clamped down on publications allowed at the annual Hong Kong Book Fair, one of the largest in Asia, since a national security law was imposed on the city in 2020 by Beijing.
The alternative festival, held at Hunter Bookstore, promoted publications covering issues including minority groups, the LGBTQ community and the city's wide wealth gap.
"The biggest difference for us (from the government-run fair) is that we have no censorship," bookstore owner Leticia Wong told reporters.
At least two publishers in attendance had removed books from their booths at last year's Hong Kong Book Fair, after officials said they contained "sensitive content".
The books included a travel book by journalist Allan Au, who was arrested in 2022 for allegedly conspiring to publish "seditious materials".
The publisher's application to take part in this year's book fair was rejected without explanation.
"NO CENSORSHIP"
Beijing imposed its national security law on Hong Kong following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019, and critics say the law has crushed the city's once-vibrant civil society.
A survey of 19 independent publishers in Hong Kong released on Sunday found their freedom of expression had been undermined by the national security law, and most relied on independent bookstores to distribute their works.
"I can see that the government is becoming more and more selective in exhibitors," said Lee, a 22-year-old university student who refused to give his full name for safety reasons.
The independent fair at Hunter Bookstore offered more options, he added.
Leslie Ng, an editor for Bbluesky – a publisher barred from this year's Hong Kong Book Fair – said the government-run festival used to be diverse and supportive of publishers, but that had changed.
The biggest challenge publishers face now, he said, is the lack in freedom of speech.
"We are always thinking about whether or not we will break the law" when editing books, Ng told AFP.
"The red line is very blurry, and we are so scared as we don't know where it is."
Hunter Bookstore's Wong believes her fair showcases the "unique landscape" of Hong Kong's publishing scene.
"Book fairs are not supposed to be censored, and independent publishing deserves more attention," she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
North Korea says Trump must accept new nuclear reality
SEOUL: North Korea said on Tuesday (Jul 29) the United States must accept that reality has changed since the countries' summit meetings in the past, and no future dialogue would end its nuclear programme, state media KCNA reported. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un who is believed to speak for his brother, said she conceded that the personal relationship between Kim and US President Donald Trump "is not bad". But if Washington intended to use a personal relationship as a way to end the North's nuclear weapons programme, the effort would only be the subject of "mockery", Kim Yo Jong said in a statement carried by KCNA. "If the US fails to accept the changed reality and persists in the failed past, the DPRK-US meeting will remain as a 'hope' of the US side," she said. DPRK is short for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. North Korea's capabilities as a nuclear weapons state and the geopolitical environment have radically changed since Kim and Trump held talks three times during the US president's first term, she said. "Any attempt to deny the position of the DPRK as a nuclear weapons state ... will be thoroughly rejected," she said. Asked about the North Korean statement, a White House official said Trump was still committed to the goal he had for the three summit meetings he held with Kim in his first term. "The resident retains those objectives and remains open to engaging with Leader Kim to achieve a fully denuclearised North Korea," the White House official told Reuters. At their first meeting in Singapore in 2018, Trump and Kim signed an agreement in principle to make the Korean peninsula free of nuclear weapons. The subsequent summit in Hanoi next year broke down due to a disagreement over removing international sanctions that had been imposed against Pyongyang.
Business Times
2 hours ago
- Business Times
Nuclear power partnerships in Asean: Worth studying despite hurdles
[SINGAPORE] Interest in nuclear power has surged across South-east Asia , with countries eyeing a low-carbon alternative to fossil fuels that is more consistent than solar or wind power. As Singapore and its neighbours deepen their exploration, joint nuclear power projects and regional trade could also be worth examining. This possibility was raised by the director-general of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog on Friday (Jul 25). Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) not only highlighted Singapore as a 'perfect example' of a country that needs nuclear power, but suggested that projects could involve regional partnerships. 'My personal impression is that within a few years, you will see your first nuclear power (project)... perhaps in a wider sense, in combination or cooperation with your Asean neighbors,' he said at a dialogue while visiting the Republic. Singapore has stepped up its exploration of nuclear power in tandem with its neighbours. Last year, the Republic inked a 30-year deal with the US to study advanced nuclear technologies. This includes exploring the use of small modular reactors (SMRs), which can be as small as a three-storey building and suit land-scarce Singapore. Our neighbours are likewise racing to explore nuclear energy. The Philippines aims to have its first nuclear power plant by 2032, decades after a mothballed attempt in the 1980s. Indonesia wants to build its first nuclear power plant by 2034. Malaysia recently decided that nuclear power is 'one of the options' for energy post-2035. At the same time, plans for regional energy trade – via the Asean power grid – are moving forward. Singapore wants to import 6 gigawatts (GW) of low-carbon electricity by 2035, and has issued conditional licences and approvals for projects in Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Australia. An expansion of a separate energy trade deal – involving Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore – is also in the works. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 12.30 pm ESG Insights An exclusive weekly report on the latest environmental, social and governance issues. Sign Up Sign Up Similar regional deals for nuclear power are not inconceivable. As Grossi noted, Croatia and Slovenia have successfully pulled off such a partnership. Both countries co-own the Krsko nuclear power plant in Slovenia, which started operations in 1983. The plant provides 16 per cent of Croatia's energy needs and a fifth of Slovenia's annually. That said, geopolitics could certainly be a significant hurdle for collaboration on nuclear power to take off. Thailand and Cambodia recently clashed at the border. South-east Asian countries also have to navigate US-China tensions. In such a volatile environment, countries may be more invested in their domestic energy security than on interdependence. The need for regulatory frameworks will be another hurdle to clear. Having nuclear power in Asean would require countries to set clear base rules to ensure safety and the non-proliferation of weapons. As one observer previously told BT: 'If it's left to individual governments to set standards, you run the (risk) that one country has a much higher standard than another, but they are in close proximity to each other... If one country is going to place its nuclear reactor just at the border of another country, imagine how (the other country) will feel.' The road to any possible consideration of nuclear power in the Asean power grid will certainly be a long and complex one. But the potential benefits – with a baseload source of clean electricity that boosts the region's resilience – are too large to ignore.
Business Times
2 hours ago
- Business Times
Oil rises 2% on US-EU trade deal, Trump's shorter deadline for Russia
[NEW YORK] Oil prices rose 2 per cent on Monday after a trade deal between the US and the European Union, and US President Donald Trump's announcement that he would shorten the deadline for Russia to end its war in Ukraine or face sanctions. Brent crude futures were up US$1.60, or 2.3 per cent, at US$70.04 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude rose US$1.55, or 2.4 per cent, to US$66.71. Brent touched its highest price in 10 days after Trump said he was reducing the 50-day deadline he gave Russia over its war in Ukraine to 10-12 days. The deal between the US and EU and a possible extension of the US-China tariff pause are also supporting global financial markets and oil prices, said Tony Sycamore, a market analyst at IG. The framework trade pact with the EU announced on Sunday sets a 15 per cent US import tariff on most EU goods. Trump also said the deal called for US$750 billion of EU purchases of US energy in the coming years. 'Europe is going to have to give up a big percentage of everything they're getting from Russia,' said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with Price Futures Group. 'Not only does it (the trade pact) give US producers a huge boost with this commitment, it also puts more pressure on (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to come to the table.' BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Senior US and Chinese officials are meeting in Stockholm on Monday to try to extend their tariff truce before an Aug 12 deadline. The US-EU deal removed another layer of uncertainty and the focus seems to be shifting back towards fundamentals, said Tamas Varga, an analyst at PVM, adding that a strong dollar and falling Indian oil imports have weighed on crude prices. On the supply side, an Opec+ panel on Monday stressed the need for full compliance with oil production agreements, ahead of Sunday's separate gathering of eight Opec+ members to decide on increasing oil output for September. ING expects Opec+, the group that includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, to at least complete the full return of 2.2 million barrels per day of additional voluntary supply cuts by the end of September. REUTERS
