Another bookstore raid on sedition charges underscores the city’s shrinking space for free inquiry and public discussion.

By Probe International

Police swooped on Hong Kong’s “Have A Nice Stay” bookstore on July 15, handcuffing staff and hauling away boxes of books suspected of “seditious intention.” The shop, founded in 2022 by former journalists, specialized in titles on media literacy, democratic development, and authoritarianism, while serving as a rare gathering spot for civil society in an increasingly restricted environment. Its planned closure in August, announced just a day earlier, cited a bleak economic and social climate.

This marks the third independent bookshop hit this year by authorities on sedition charges under Article 23 — right as the city’s premier literary event, the Hong Kong Book Fair, kicks off.

Meanwhile in mainland China, independent bookstores have plummeted by 40% in the past five years. Despite a brief post-pandemic recovery, these venues that have served as cultural salons and spaces for public discussion have not been able to survive escalating stress. Yet public mobilization can sometimes secure temporary reprieves.

Brave holdouts like Chengdu’s beloved You Xing deserve immense respect for keeping free ideas alive. Following an October 2025 announcement of impending closure on November 28 due to “force majeure” — widely understood as regulatory pressure over unapproved public lectures on social issues — the Chengdu independent bookstore experienced a swift reversal. Intense public support, tributes from readers and netizens, and media attention prompted owner Zhang Feng to announce on November 4–5, 2025, that operations would continue after securing approval from authorities. The store quickly resumed normal activities, including a scheduled economics lecture, with Zhang crediting collective public care for the “miraculous effect.”