Travelers from Hong Kong enter a land port in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province. Photo: VCG

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) does not impose import or export restrictions on general books and it is illegal only if a traveler possesses publications which have the intention to incite and lacks a reasonable explanation, the city's Commissioner of Customs and Excise Louise Ho Pui-shan said in a recent interview. 

The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance came into force in Hong Kong on March 23. 

As the Article 23 legislation of the Basic Law covers the crime of possessing publications that have seditious intention, Ho was quoted as saying in media reports on Saturday that in response to the new legislation, internal guidelines would be revised and that training would be provided to customs officers.

For example, if customs officer discovers suspicious publications in the luggage of incoming travelers and reasonably suspects that the publications have seditious intention, and if the traveler cannot provide a reasonable explanation, customs personnel will notify the police for further investigation and judgment, and will take action if necessary."

When asked whether a list would be made for "soft confrontation" items or "banned books," the Hong Kong official said that the so-called soft confrontation does not have a specific definition or scope. 

Through internal customs training, front-line personnel will be educated on techniques and channels that potentially pose threats to national security, to heighten their awareness.

If a traveler possesses publications like Apple Daily or military books into the territory, Ho mentioned that it would depend on whether the publication has seditious intention. 

She said that all circumstances would be thoroughly considered, including the context and purpose of the publication, before making a judgment. She reiterated that, according to the provisions of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, concerning intention to incite, it is only illegal for anyone to possess publications with intention to incite without a reasonable explanation.

In addressing concerns about whether local residents in Hong Kong would violate the law under the Article 23 legislation of the Basic Law by possessing the secessionist tabloid Apple Daily "as a memento" at home, local officials have already clarified that it depends on whether the possessor has a reasonable explanation. The clarification served as a rebuttal to Western media hype targeting the law.

Before the implementation of the Article 23 legislation, Hong Kong's customs had already seized publications intended to incite. A local man, who imported seditious children's picture books from the UK which portrayed the city's residents as sheep defending their village from evil wolves, which were supposed to represent the central government, was sentenced to jail for four months in October 2023.