The scandal has sent a chill through Hong Kong’s supposedly free publishing world, which has traditionally been able to produce books outlawed in the authoritarian mainland thanks to the “one country, two systems” model introduced on its return to China in 1997.
Advertisement
Hong Kong police said in a statement at 10 p.m. Thursday the Guangdong provincial Public Security Department (PSD) had told them “it was understood” that the three men associated with the Causeway Bay Bookstore were being investigated in relation to a criminal case against a person surnamed Gui and were suspected of being involved in illegal activities in the mainland.
He said four of the booksellers went missing in October past year, and if the Guangdong authorities could only inform Hong Kong police now of what happened to them, it means the mutual notification mechanism between mainland and Hong Kong police is no longer working.
They add to evidence that President Xi Jinping’s government is moving with increased urgency to rein in financial-system risks.
He said he had now published the book online to challenge China, and that he should be held responsible, not the booksellers.
“We estimate that in the worst case scenario where Hong Kong Chinese mainland sales declined to zero, our 2016 operating profit from Hong Kong would be flat at worst, reducing our group earnings estimate would decline by £50m or 1%”. Gui Minhai, co-owner of Causeway Bay Books, who went missing in Thailand, reappeared on Chinese television last month tearfully confessing to a 2003 hit-and-run incident.
The Mighty Current publishing house was known for its tabloid-style books focusing on the private lives of China’s leaders.
Lee’s case has sparked the strongest backlash as he was the only one of the men to have disappeared while in Hong Kong.
Another recent report from Time magazine says that Li Xin, a journalist who also went missing two weeks ago, has resurfaced, made a call to his wife, and said he is under police custody.
The apparent abductions of Lee and Gui, from Hong Kong and Thailand respectively, have infuriated Beijing’s critics and the worldwide community, who accuse the Chinese government of trampling on global law and Hong Kong’s judicial autonomy in order to hunt down its foes. He would contact police should he need to.
Mr Lee disappeared from Hong Kong in October – a previous letter from him said he had gone to China voluntarily.
Advertisement
Hong Kong police have asked the Guangdong authorities to “assist in following up the situations” of the three booksellers revealed to be under investigation, and to reiterate to Lee that Hong Kong police wanted to meet with him, the statement said.
