“Three Chinese Bookstores” is the largest group of bookstores monopolising in Hong Kong, including Joint Publishing, Chung Hwa Bookstore and the Commercial Press. In Hong Kong, the “Three Chinese Bookstores” and countless of publishers are owned by the same company, the Sino United Publishing, a shell organization remotely controlled by the Liaison Office of Chinese Government. They monopolize the book wholesale market in Hong Kong, and is infamously known for their alignment with the Chinese Government. There Sino United Publishing Company dominated the Book market by owning more than half of the bookstores in Hong Kong, the largest printing factory and almost 30 publishers. Li Zuze, the first CEO of the Sino United Publishing, admitted during an interview with RTHK that ‘Sino United Publishing is a “state-owned enterprise”, hence it is under the control of the Liaison Office.’
The censorship has gotten even worse since the Umbrella Revolution, the “Three Chinese Bookstores” have a tight and strict political censorship over the books to be put on stock. This is all to fulfill the propaganda that the books selling in the Hong Kong would not deliver any “harmful message” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Such propaganda allows the Chinese Government to control the content of messages circulated in Hong Kong, and have their discretion to decide what goes into people’s mind. Therefore, in view of such practice, HongKongers could not explore mainland China and CCP from such “forbidden” perspectives. China even suppress against bookstores selling “forbidden books” that risk harming CCP’s regime, for instance the Causeway Bay Bookstore incident. The sudden disappearance of staffs and shareholders during 2015, backed by the Chinese Government, setting an example for the other bookstore owners. This phenomenon can only get worse as the growth of the “Three Chinese Bookstores” shares within the market.
These incidents reflect that CCP wanted to exert culture control from the root by monitoring contents in the books and newspapers published. Even though there is a mirage that the book market provide readers with lots of choices, most of the book available in the market have gone through censorship from CCP already.
Under CCP’s serious suppression on Hong Kong, the book market infiltration would be definitely worsening. There is a bookstore run by the Commercial Press Bookstore currently in PolyU campus. The Union believes that HongKongers must stand up against those “Chinese-funded Corporations” in order to continue the movement striving for freedom.
Meanwhile, University students should demonstrate the ability to possess critical thinking in multiple perspectives, to cut ourselves loose from mind controlling tricks by the CCP. Therefore, Union initiates this referendum to vote against the “Three Chinese Bookstore” in PolyU. We hope the referendum could achieve the following goals:
1. Reject Chinese-funded bookstores in PolyU
2. Allow other independent bookstores to operate in PolyU
3. To develop a “Yellow Economy” within PolyU.
4. To promote awareness and discussion about “Three Bookstores from China” among Universities and to call for action to boycott the Chinese-funded Corporations, in order to reject CCP infiltration.
Below is the details of the Referendum:
Date: 17 - 21 / 2 / 2020
Time: 1100 - 1900
Voting platform: mySurvey online voting (on-going with the SU Annual Election)
Voting procedure:
1. Members of the Students’ Union will be receiving an email from the “EC Election Committee” before 1030AM 17/2;
2. Within the email, you will find a link to the voting platform that opens during the above time and hour of the Annual Election;
3. After finish voting at the Annual Election section, you will be redirected to the referendum;
4. During the referendum, please only choose one option for a valid ballot.
Proposer and initiator:
CHAN Wai Hei Jeffrey
26th session HKPUSU Executive Committee University Affairs Secretary (2019-)
HKPU Student Representative of Convenience Store & Bookshop (2019-)
The censorship has gotten even worse since the Umbrella Revolution, the “Three Chinese Bookstores” have a tight and strict political censorship over the books to be put on stock. This is all to fulfill the propaganda that the books selling in the Hong Kong would not deliver any “harmful message” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Such propaganda allows the Chinese Government to control the content of messages circulated in Hong Kong, and have their discretion to decide what goes into people’s mind. Therefore, in view of such practice, HongKongers could not explore mainland China and CCP from such “forbidden” perspectives. China even suppress against bookstores selling “forbidden books” that risk harming CCP’s regime, for instance the Causeway Bay Bookstore incident. The sudden disappearance of staffs and shareholders during 2015, backed by the Chinese Government, setting an example for the other bookstore owners. This phenomenon can only get worse as the growth of the “Three Chinese Bookstores” shares within the market.
These incidents reflect that CCP wanted to exert culture control from the root by monitoring contents in the books and newspapers published. Even though there is a mirage that the book market provide readers with lots of choices, most of the book available in the market have gone through censorship from CCP already.
Under CCP’s serious suppression on Hong Kong, the book market infiltration would be definitely worsening. There is a bookstore run by the Commercial Press Bookstore currently in PolyU campus. The Union believes that HongKongers must stand up against those “Chinese-funded Corporations” in order to continue the movement striving for freedom.
Meanwhile, University students should demonstrate the ability to possess critical thinking in multiple perspectives, to cut ourselves loose from mind controlling tricks by the CCP. Therefore, Union initiates this referendum to vote against the “Three Chinese Bookstore” in PolyU. We hope the referendum could achieve the following goals:
1. Reject Chinese-funded bookstores in PolyU
2. Allow other independent bookstores to operate in PolyU
3. To develop a “Yellow Economy” within PolyU.
4. To promote awareness and discussion about “Three Bookstores from China” among Universities and to call for action to boycott the Chinese-funded Corporations, in order to reject CCP infiltration.
Below is the details of the Referendum:
Date: 17 - 21 / 2 / 2020
Time: 1100 - 1900
Voting platform: mySurvey online voting (on-going with the SU Annual Election)
Voting procedure:
1. Members of the Students’ Union will be receiving an email from the “EC Election Committee” before 1030AM 17/2;
2. Within the email, you will find a link to the voting platform that opens during the above time and hour of the Annual Election;
3. After finish voting at the Annual Election section, you will be redirected to the referendum;
4. During the referendum, please only choose one option for a valid ballot.
Proposer and initiator:
CHAN Wai Hei Jeffrey
26th session HKPUSU Executive Committee University Affairs Secretary (2019-)
HKPU Student Representative of Convenience Store & Bookshop (2019-)