Since the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region came into effect on July 1, 2020, media reports have highlighted that Hong Kong Public Libraries and school libraries have removed numerous books and periodicals from their shelves. Concurrently, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) has designated specific books and publications as banned materials. Following complaints and reports from certain organizations alleging that some literature violated the national security law, several distributors and publishers have been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment.
As of July 13, 2026, no fewer than 600 titles are reported to have been banned, censored, or subjected to complaints.
Policy and Environment Prior to 2020 On October 2, 2007, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) clarified the acquisition policy of public libraries, stating: "Hong Kong Public Libraries selects and purchases library materials in accordance with the principles of the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto to meet the needs of different people in the society for lifelong learning, academic research, access to information and the best use of spare time. In the spirit of the Manifesto, the Hong Kong Public Libraries adheres to the principle of safeguarding information freedom when purchasing books and newspapers and will not censor publications."
On June 24, 2009, the Home Affairs Department stated in the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: "As at June 15, 2009, the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) holds 149 titles of books on the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre and related topics and the number of copies totals 1,162. In response to the demand of the readers, HKPL has ordered an addition of 250 copies of these books. By then, the percentage of the relevant books available for loan will be 82%."
Despite having 149 such titles in 2009, by May 2023, only three titles related to the event remained in the public library collection.
The A Concise History of Hong Kong abridged edition incident (2013) In 2013, it was revealed that historian John M. Carroll’s book A Concise History of Hong Kong existed in both an "original version" and an abridged Chinese edition. While the covers, translators, and publishing details of both versions were largely identical, the abridged version omitted numerous paragraphs concerning the Chinese government and Hong Kong politics. Carroll stated that he had no prior knowledge of the abridged version's existence, expressed shock and disappointment, and demanded that the publisher recall it.
Chung Hwa Book Company (Hong Kong) Limited, the publisher, responded that the abridged edition was merely a "sample copy" produced for copyright negotiations with mainland China, which leaked into the market due to being mistakenly sent to the Hong Kong Book Fair for sale. However, media reports pointed out that the abridged version had also been sold in other bookstores across Hong Kong, conflicting with the publisher's account. The incident sparked widespread public discussion regarding whether the publisher altered content due to political factors and raised concerns about self-censorship within the publishing industry.
Post-2020 developments
Public Library collection removals and government response On 4 July 2020, media outlets first reported that several titles in the Hong Kong Public Libraries (HKPL) collections had been removed from shelves following the enactment of the National Security Law. An investigation by Stand News revealed that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) had issued directives to "review" works by certain pro-democracy political figures and columnists, including Joshua Wong (Huang, Zhifeng.), Tanya Chan (Chen, Shuzhuang.), and Chin Wan (Chen, Yun.). The books were suspended from circulation and removed from public shelves while the review was pending.
The LCSD subsequently responded that since the implementation of the law in late June 2020, public libraries had incorporated the safeguarding of national security as a key consideration in acquiring books and accepting donations. The department added that it would review materials upon receiving public complaints, implementing suspensions or removals as necessary. While authorities emphasized that any books suspected of violating local legislations would be immediately taken down for review, they consistently declined to disclose specific figures or a checklist of the removed titles.
Following a report by the Audit Commission urging stronger vetting procedures, the LCSD stated it had completed the removal of books "manifestly contrary to national security." The department revealed that the comprehensive assessment of its collections commenced in 2021. However, due to the growing volume of books requiring inspection and the complexity of the follow-up work, the review remained incomplete as of the first quarter of 2023. Consequently, the LCSD stated it was "impossible to set a definitive completion date" for the entire vetting process.
On May 16, 2023, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu responded to the controversy surrounding the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) removing a large number of public library books from its shelves. He emphasized that the LCSD has a responsibility to ensure that borrowed books serve Hong Kong's interests and do not violate Hong Kong law, which includes reviewing whether books disseminate information detrimental to Hong Kong or involve copyright issues. He stated that he has confidence in the professional judgment of the department's staff, and added that if citizens wish to read these books, they can still purchase them through private bookstores.
Criticisms and international response Some scholars argue that the government's current library policies violate the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, which asserts that "collections and services should not be subject to any form of ideological, political or religious censorship, nor commercial pressures." Critics have expressed concern that these measures undermine the fundamental role of public libraries.
On November 11, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Committee issued its "Concluding observations on the fourth periodic report of Hong Kong, China," evaluating the region's compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In Article C, Paragraph 44, the Committee recommended that Hong Kong should: (a) Immediately stop censoring books and other material in public libraries, including school libraries, and reinstate the books and other material that have been removed for allegedly breaching the National Security Law or for being contrary to the interests of national security; (b) Publish a list of the books and materials that have been removed; (c) Take concrete steps necessary to ensure non-recurrence.
To date, the Hong Kong government and school management bodies have not implemented these recommendations. Observers argue this lack of compliance conflicts with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and associated international treaties.
On July 30, 2026, Choi Chi-sum, general secretary of the Society for Truth and Light, commented on bookstores in Hong Kong facing obstruction for selling books that have not been ruled illegal by a court, emphasizing that reading books from diverse perspectives is vital for building critical thinking and strengthening convictions. He pointed out that bookstore staff and owners cannot possibly read every single line of every book, making it completely normal to sell books not yet ruled illegal, and noted that Hong Kong has never had a prior censorship system for newspapers and publications, which is the true embodiment of freedom of speech and publication. He believes that under "One Country, Two Systems," Hong Kong's bottom line lies in freedom of speech and publication, meaning citizens should not live in fear of possessing unconvicted books, and business operations require clear legal bases rather than relying solely on officials' subjective views. Choi reiterated that if law enforcement agencies believe someone has broken the law, they must publicly disclose the reasons for prosecution and must never arrest, seize, or ban sales based on unwarranted charges or undisclosed reasoning, as doing so would constitute an abuse of power and undermine the rule of law, given that the purpose of the law is to provide citizens with predictable rules and restrain government behavior rather than suppress dissidents.
School library restrictions and self-censorship In 2024, reports emerged that school administrators and educators responsible for national security education had escalated self-censorship efforts. Books published in Taiwan became a primary focus due to printed terms such as "Taiwan," "Country," or "National Library Cataloging in Publication." Schools adopted various containment measures, including using stickers or black markers to cover up the terms "Taiwan" and "country," or removing Taiwan-published books entirely from library shelves.
These developments parallel earlier actions in 2023, where the Hong Kong Government and the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government of China barred Taiwanese universities from using the term "national" during the Taiwan Education Exhibition in Hong Kong, leading some institutions to withdraw from the event.Such practices have been described as similar to earlier censorship methods used by mainland China to remove politically sensitive terms, such as the "Republic of China calendar era" (Minguo era), from Taiwanese books.
Additionally, reports indicate that some government schools in Hong Kong have discontinued the use of the HyRead e-book platform, provided by Taiwan’s Hyweb Technology. Furthermore, they have canceled certain online reading platforms for Chinese and English subjects to prevent teachers and students from accessing content alleged to violate the National Security Law or the Basic Law.
Inaction by library professional associations Beyond the high volume of books and periodicals actively removed from libraries, numerous other publications have never reached shelves due to preemptive censorship or self-censorship. Critics argue this silently deprives readers of information freedom.
During this period, major local library associations, such as the Hong Kong Library Association and the Hong Kong Teacher-Librarians' Association, did not issue public concerns or take collective professional action. This lack of response has been described by some as a collapse of professional standards. Observers note that local librarians, teacher-librarians, school quality-assurance personnel (inspectors) of the Education Bureau, school management, and teachers have struggled to uphold established codes of professionalism and safeguard the free flow of information.
Additionally, literature regarding the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre has become increasingly scarce across libraries and mainstream retail bookstores in Hong Kong.
Government response and blacklist controversy In response to repeated calls from the public and the publishing industry to release an official list of banned books, the Hong Kong government has consistently declined to do so.