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HKFP
3 days ago
- Politics
- HKFP
HKFP Monitor July 26, 2025: The impact of state media attacks, and rare tension among lawmakers over same-sex bill
This week, Beijing-backed media ramped up the 'soft resistance' narrative with a full-on, week-long attack on indie bookshops, cafés, and other businesses – raising questions about what they signal. Meanwhile, tension is brewing in Hong Kong's 'patriots-only' legislature, as some lawmakers push back against a bill granting limited rights to same-sex couples – a rare sight since the electoral overhaul. With the next LegCo election looming, the political scene remains unusually quiet. A local column suggests hopefuls are holding back, waiting for the green light to run. And finally, a cheerful celebrity photo turned political drama as stars Eric Tsang and Kenny Bee rushed to apologise after being pictured with controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee. Chinese state-run newspapers Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao have ramped up their attacks on indie bookshops, stores, and media outlets they label as pro-democracy — devoting a week of full-page reports accusing them of 'soft resistance.' Their reporters visited shops, cafés, as well as a tea house, a boutique, and even a claw machine store, digging for signs of ideological 'threats.' They even published a map showing a cluster of so-called 'yellow' shops in Sham Shui Po. According to the reports, some stores sold items with protest-linked slogans like 'We fucking love Hong Kong' and 'May good people have peace throughout their lives' -though social media page HK Propaganda noted that Wen Wei Po and Ta Kung Pao had themselves used the latter phrase multiple times. Books by indie newsrooms The Witness and The Collective were also singled out, accused of bias and with their founders' backgrounds highlighted. So what's going on? These attacks aren't new. Since the national security law came into force in 2020, state media have often acted as both a test balloon to gauge public reaction – and a warning shot to their targets. Former Wen Wei Po deputy editor Ching Cheong told HKFP in 2021 that such campaigns usually reflected central planning more than spontaneous journalism. And they've worked before. In 2021, four members of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council resigned after similar accusations. But this time, some seem to be unfazed. Hunter Bookstore – targeted on Wen Wei Po's front page for two straight days – called the claims 'ridiculous,' adding it hoped more people would 'stand firm under pressure' and 'do what's right.' Since Hong Kong overhauled its electoral system in 2021 to create a 'patriots-only' legislature, it has been rare to see lawmakers push back on government bills. But the proposed Registration of Same-sex Partnerships Bill is sparking rare tension between the executive and the legislature. The bill, introduced earlier this month, is the government's response to a 2023 top court ruling requiring legal recognition of same-sex couples within two years. According to the proposal, limited rights would be granted to same-sex couples married overseas. LGBTQ groups have slammed it as inadequate. Meanwhile, many lawmakers are pushing back hard, claiming it amounts to recognising same-sex marriage and could undermine 'fundamental family values.' So far, only Regina Ip — who officiated at the 2023 Gay Games — and lawmakers from her New People's Party, as well as solicitor Paul Tse, have voiced open support. Chief Executive John Lee has stressed that the government must comply with the court's ruling, warning that ignoring it could lead to 'serious consequences.' The bill is currently under review by a 15-member bills committee before heading to a full Legislative Council (LegCo) debate. It remains to be seen whether lawmakers will hold their ground in rejecting it – and how the government plans to meet the court's October deadline without breaching the ruling. | LOCAL MEDIA MONITOR Unusually quiet? Local newspaper Ming Pao's political gossip column said on Wednesday that Hong Kong is seeing an 'unusually quiet' lead-up to the LegCo election in December. According to the anonymous writer, most politicians hoping to enter or stay in the 'patriots-only' legislature are still 'waiting for instructions,' with barely any public moves being made. Nominations opened on Monday for a by-election to fill 93 vacant seats in the 1,500-member Election Committee – the powerful body that nominates the city's chief executive and LegCo candidates, and directly elects 40 lawmakers. The column also mentioned a rumour swirling in political circles: around one-third of current legislators might not be staying. Apparently, securing a second term could hinge on passing an informal 'assessment' by the chief executive. Some unnamed lawmakers even claimed that senior government officials have written reports on certain legislators — reports that could influence their future in LegCo. Pro-establishment figure Lau Siu-kai said he had heard the rumour too but expressed doubts that the city's top leader has the final say. Beijing, he said, wouldn't want LegCo to be just a rubber stamp and still values lawmakers who offer constructive criticism. Celebs photo row: Hong Kong stars Eric Tsang and Kenny Bee took to Chinese social media site Weibo over the weekend to apologise after a photo surfaced showing them posing with controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee, known for his outspoken criticism of mainland China. In the photo, Bee was seen with his hand on Namewee's shoulder. While they didn't mention the Malaysian singer by name, Bee said he had 'no idea' about the person's background or 'inappropriate words and actions.' Had he known, he added, he wouldn't have interacted with him. 'This was an inadvertent mistake and in no way reflects my support for his views,' Bee wrote in a signed statement. Namewee, whose real name is Wee Meng Chee, originally shared the group photo on Threads but later deleted it. He said it was to protect the 'safety of comrades in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area,' and to avoid affecting the 'peace and stability of the motherland.' Namewee is best known for his satirical 2021 track Fragile, which pokes fun at hypersensitive Chinese nationalism. He's also had multiple run-ins with Malaysian police over the years in connection with his provocative music videos and film. HKFP PHOTO OF THE WEEK This giant calendar shows every inspection Hunter Bookstore has faced from various government departments since 2022 – with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department making the most appearances. The inspections are part of a broader wave of bureaucratic pressure on indie bookstores across the city. In our exclusive report last week, six independent publishing companies said they had all been hit with simultaneous tax audits over the past 18 months. Those in the independent news sector, including HKFP, previously said they were facing similar scrutiny too.
HKFP
21-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Co-organiser of independent book fair rebuts ‘soft resistance' accusation from Beijing-backed paper Wen Wei Po
A co-organiser of an independent book fair in Hong Kong has rebutted accusations made by Beijing-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po, which alleged that the event and participating bookstores carried out 'soft resistance.' In a front-page report on Monday, the paper said that 'Reading Everywhere – Hong Kong Independent Book Fair and Bookstore Festival' was full of 'an atmosphere of soft resistance.' The report also carried the tag, 'Cracking down on soft resistance.' The independent book fair was co-organised by and held at Hunter Bookstore, an indie bookshop in Sham Shui Po, from Thursday to Monday. As part of the event, a series of talks on new books also took place at different independent bookshops, such as Book Punch and Have a Nice Stay. Wen Wei Po alleged that 'Reading Everywhere' sold books with messages that 'oppose China and disturb Hong Kong.' The paper cited as examples: a biography of the jailed pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, a memoir of former Democratic Party lawmaker Emily Lau, and a new novel written by pro-democracy political commentator Johnny Lau. According to the report, an undercover Wen Wei Po reporter went to the book fair and asked a staff member at Hunter Bookstore whether the store was selling a biography of Lai. The shop attendant said the book would be on sale after the book fair. 'This indicated the staff member was well aware of the 'soft resistance' nature of the book,' the report read. In response to HKFP's enquiry, Leticia Wong, director of Hunter Bookstore, said Lai's biography was published by a Taiwanese publisher and copies of the book had just arrived a few days ago. She said she did not display the new book at the book fair because the event focused more on local publishing. 'It's not because we're hiding the title,' Wong said in Cantonese. 'If the government said we can't sell this book, we immediately wouldn't sell it. But right now the government has said nothing.' Wen Wei Po also accused the independent book fair of placing a donation box for the Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA). The paper previously labelled the press union an 'anti-government political organisation.' Wong rejected the accusation, saying that the book fair did not place any donation box for the HKJA nor sell any merchandise of the organisation. 'It's ridiculous. They even got the facts wrong,' she said. Wen Wei Po also alleged that Book Punch ordered Lai's biography for readers and sold HKJA merchandise. Pong Yat-ming, owner of Book Punch, told HKFP on Monday that they sold HKJA keyrings and they had no further response to Wen Wei Po's report. 'Surprised' A journalist-turned-politician, Lau is a member of the city's largest pro-democracy party, the Democratic Party, and served as a lawmaker from 1991 to 2016. She published her memoir, Stay Here, in July. The pro-Beijing paper referred to her new book as an example of 'soft resistance' and called Lau a 'lawmaker of the Mutual Destruction Camp.' It also alleged that she criticised the 'enhanced' election systems as a 'regression of democracy' in the book. 'Mutual destruction' is a phrase arising from the 2019 protests and unrest, which expresses a willingness by protesters to exhaust all means, even at the cost of sacrifice, to bring about justice or damage the government. 'I am surprised. I never knew that I would be categorised as the Mutual Destruction Camp,' Emily told HKFP in Cantonese. 'In fact, this was the first time I was called this way.' Many people have criticised the current election system as a 'regression of democracy,' Lau said. 'It's just my personal opinion. Of course, there are people praising it as 'progress of democracy.' I hope there is still freedom of speech in Hong Kong.' In March 2021, Beijing passed legislation to ensure 'patriots' govern Hong Kong. The move reduced democratic representation in the legislature, tightened control of elections and introduced a pro-Beijing vetting panel to select candidates. The Hong Kong government said the overhaul would ensure the city's stability and prosperity. But the changes also prompted international condemnation, as it makes it near-impossible for pro-democracy candidates to stand. 'Soft resistance' Since 2021, Chinese and Hong Kong officials have mentioned the phrase as a threat to national security but have not been specific about what it means. In late June, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam gave an explanation of 'soft resistance' for the first time. He said there were three main elements of soft resistance: making false or misleading statements, expressing them irrationally and with emotional bias, and with the intention of creating a misunderstanding about the Chinese and Hong Kong governments and their policies. Lam said on Commercial Radio on Saturday that some forms of 'soft resistance' actually do not violate the law, and the authorities should utilise 'soft power' to handle 'soft resistance.' '[We] should make sure [the public] understand what the government is doing and what is happening in our country… and to enhance people's understanding and belonging to the country,' Lam said in Cantonese.
HKFP
08-07-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
Hong Kong NGO defends ecotourism research after ‘soft resistance' accusation from Beijing-backed paper
Policy think tank Liber Research Community has defended its research after Beijing-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po accused the NGO of 'soft resistance' through its policy recommendations for Hong Kong's ecotourism initiatives. The paper ran a full-page report on Tuesday, accusing the NGO of using 'pseudo-science' to challenge the bottom line of national security. The report also named Greenpeace Hong Kong, which co-hosted a seminar event on ecotourism with Liber and other environmental groups online last month after a local university cancelled their venue booking. According to the Wen Wei Po report, Liber 'has been using pseudo-science as 'camouflage' to spread untruthful comments to vilify the government.' Brian Wong, a researcher at Liber, said he was confident that the think tank's research was well-founded. 'Our last report was solid, with methodologies, data, and case studies,' Wong told HKFP on Tuesday, 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.' 'Done well' According to Wen Wei Po, Liber's research is based on the 'false premise' that development will always have environmental impacts. But Wong maintained that Liber was not opposed to the government's ecotourism initiatives. 'We just want it to be done well. There are always details from which we can derive insights by conducting research,' he said. 'The government has itself said that recommendations are welcomed as long as they are based on fact.' Last month, Liber and Greenpeace published a joint report urging the authorities to set a clear framework for eco-tourism development after discovering that existing arrangements may grant developers more flexibility to build private housing on ecologically sensitive land. In early July, 10 green groups, including Greenpeace, separately called on the authorities to align ecotourism policies with international standards. They warned that such eco-projects would otherwise endanger local communities and ecosystems if they skewed in favour of property developers' interests. On both occasions, the NGOs did not state that they opposed the plan or called for it to be shelved. Wong also said that the Wen Wei Po report contained inaccuracies. Contrary to the report's claims, he said Liber did not attend the press conference held by the Society for Protection of the Harbour, an environmental NGO, which the Development Bureau accused of making 'misleading remarks' about a legislative amendment streamlining approval for harbour reclamation works. Liber also did not draft a template for representation letters regarding the San Tin Technopole, a planned tech park development in the New Territories that has been green-lit despite a 90 per cent opposition rate in a consultation exercise. The Wen Wei Po report also said that one of Liber's events, which one of the paper's reporters attended without revealing their identity, had the makings of an 'underground assembly,' quoting a host's remark that 'what's said here, stays here.'
RTHK
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- RTHK
Guangdong southbound car scheme 'to arrive this year'
Guangdong southbound car scheme 'to arrive this year' Mable Chan, second left, meets her Guangdong counterparts in Guangzhou over the Southbound Travel Scheme. Photo courtesy of the Information Services Department The government has been quoted as saying it plans to roll out a scheme this year that will allow cars in Guangdong to enter the streets of Hong Kong's urban areas. This came as Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan met her counterparts in Guangzhou on Monday to discuss details of the Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles scheme. In a statement, the government said Chan visited a vehicle examination centre in Guangzhou to learn more about its operation as part of efforts to prepare for the southbound scheme. It said the increased traffic will benefit various industries. "Under orderly and controllable circumstances, the Southbound Travel Scheme aims to provide options for tourists from Guangdong, meeting the keen expectations of the public on two-way travel and bringing new visitor segments to Hong Kong," it said. In an interview with the Wen Wei Po newspaper, Chan was quoted as saying that authorities will set a quota for the scheme. She said there's certainly a need to take into account how small Hong Kong is as well as its traffic jams. Chan noted, for instance, that the quota for the northbound scheme was 200 vehicles a day when it began two years ago. The southbound scheme is meant to be implemented in two phases. Guangdong drivers would initially be allowed to take their vehicles to an automated car park near the bridge linking Hong Kong with Macau and Zhuhai, before urban areas are opened up to them in the second phase.
HKFP
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- HKFP
Guangdong vehicles to be allowed into Hong Kong urban areas ‘in phases' as gov't vows to strengthen safeguards
Vehicles from neighbouring Guangdong province in mainland China will be allowed into Hong Kong's urban areas 'in phases' in a move to ease travel arrangements, transport chief Mable Chan has said, adding that authorities are drafting application procedures and guidelines. The government aims to roll out the 'Southbound Travel for Guangdong Vehicles' scheme by the end of this year, Chan said in an interview with state-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po on Monday. Initially, mainland vehicles will only be allowed to park at the Hong Kong end of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Chan said. Mainland drivers can then transit to nearby Hong Kong International Airport or use public transport to get to other districts. The city's government would later allow Guangdong vehicles to drive into the urban areas of Hong Kong 'in phases,' Chan said, without disclosing a timeline or the definition of 'urban areas.' She said authorities on both sides were considering the quota for vehicles, the border crossing arrangements, and support facilities. Authorities will strengthen risk management, requesting Guangdong drivers to comply with Hong Kong laws, ensure the safety of their vehicles, and buy relevant insurance cover. Mainland China drives on the right while the former British colony of Hong Kong drives on the left. Chan headed to Guangdong on Monday for further talks on the scheme. A scheme prolonged Hong Kong introduced the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles on July 1, 2023, with local cars allowed to cross the border and drive into Guangdong province. Four months later, the then-transport and logistics chief Lam Sai-hung announced that the government would introduce the southbound scheme by 2024. Lam said at that time that Guangdong drivers would only be allowed to park at Hong Kong Port at the end of the bridge. Since Hong Kong was relatively small and crowded, authorities had not yet set a schedule for Guangdong vehicles to enter urban areas. In May, former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying in a Facebook post questioned why authorities were delaying the scheme. 'To do something, you only need one reason; not to do something, you will have a hundred reasons. The scheme of Guangdong vehicles for southbound travel has been prolonged due to a hundred reasons,' Leung wrote in Cantonese.
