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Hong Kong bookshops pull politically sensitive titles after publishers vanish
Source: The Guardian
Hong Kong bookshops pull politically sensitive titles after publishers vanish
Suspected abduction of five booksellers prompts fears of mounting self-
censorship in face of mainland crackdown on ‘salacious’ publications
Ilaria Maria Sala in Hong Kong
Thursday 7 January 2016 05.56 GMT
One of Hong Kong’s leading international bookshop chains has removed politically sensitive books from its shelves in the wake of the mysterious disappearance of five of the city’s booksellers, stoking fears over mounting self-censorship in the former British colony.
Page One, a major Singapore chain, with outlets in both Hong Kong and mainland China, has decided to stop selling all politically sensitive books in Chinese – known locally as “jinshu”, or “forbidden books” – in its Hong Kong shops, as the mystery over the whereabouts of the five vanished men deepens.
The chain, which specialises in graphic design and visual art volumes, had been limiting the number of political books it sold ever since clinching a deal a few years ago with authorities to expand its operations in the mainland – where no Chinese-language “sensitive” political books published in Hong Kong are allowed for distribution.
However, until recently Page One’s outlet in the departure hall of Hong Kong airport had continued to cater to the strong appetite of mainland Chinese travellers for volumes on political intrigue and gossip.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Suspected abduction of five booksellers prompts fears of mounting self-
censorship in face of mainland crackdown on ‘salacious’ publications
Ilaria Maria Sala in Hong Kong
Thursday 7 January 2016 05.56 GMT
One of Hong Kong’s leading international bookshop chains has removed politically sensitive books from its shelves in the wake of the mysterious disappearance of five of the city’s booksellers, stoking fears over mounting self-censorship in the former British colony.
Page One, a major Singapore chain, with outlets in both Hong Kong and mainland China, has decided to stop selling all politically sensitive books in Chinese – known locally as “jinshu”, or “forbidden books” – in its Hong Kong shops, as the mystery over the whereabouts of the five vanished men deepens.
The chain, which specialises in graphic design and visual art volumes, had been limiting the number of political books it sold ever since clinching a deal a few years ago with authorities to expand its operations in the mainland – where no Chinese-language “sensitive” political books published in Hong Kong are allowed for distribution.
However, until recently Page One’s outlet in the departure hall of Hong Kong airport had continued to cater to the strong appetite of mainland Chinese travellers for volumes on political intrigue and gossip.
[font size=1]-snip-[/font]
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/07/hong-kong-bookshops-pull-politically-sensitive-titles-after-publishers-vanish
