HKFP Monitor Oct 11, 2025: Hong Kong’s film censorship red lines; Beijing’s reminders to local media
Welcome back to HKFP Monitor. This week, we got a glimpse of the effect of the film censorship law, as a media report revealed that 13 films were barred from screening over national security concerns. Meanwhile, a high-ranking Beijing official told local media to “have the nation in your heart and mind” and “be responsible in your writing.” In other news, a YouTube account owner claimed their account was suspended after government-managed broadcaster RTHK filed copyright complaints against backup videos of its deleted shows. | FILM CENSORSHIP Hong Kong filmmakers have been navigating new red lines since the city amended the Film Censorship Ordinance in 2021, allowing authorities to demand edits or ban films deemed contrary to national security. The tighter controls came about a year after Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong following months of anti-extradition protests. This week, Ming Pao revealed that since the new censorship law took effect, 50 films have been required to undergo edits, and 13 were denied screening approval on national security grounds. The figures emerged only after the newspaper pressed the Office for Film, Newspaper and Article Administration (OFNAA), which said it had reviewed over 39,000 films since 2021. However, OFNAA refused to disclose which titles were affected, and the Communications Authority rejected the paper’s Access to Information request, citing risks to “public order,” “public safety,” and departmental operations. According to past reports, some directors said they were told to delete scenes depicting protests or Taiwan’s presidential election, though the exact red lines remain unclear. The stricter censorship comes as the local film industry struggles. Despite recent hits like The Last Dance and Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, more than 10 cinemas have closed since last year, with box office revenues still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. Some Hong Kong filmmakers have left the city in recent years amid the tightened censorship. Chan Cheuk-sze and Kathy Wong, whose documentary Colour Sampling Ideology.mov won Best Documentary at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards in 2024, told HKFP last year that they had no plans to screen it in their home city. It would be “a waste of time” to try to send their film about “political colours” to the Hong Kong censors for screening in the city, Chan said. Tin Kai-man, spokesperson for the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, told Ming Pao that he had not heard of any commercial films being censored or banned, suggesting most affected titles were independent films or documentaries. In April, Police Commissioner Joe Chow warned that some still sought to “incite others through the media, arts and culture sectors,” while maintaining that artists “still enjoy creative freedom” in the city. | STATE MEDIA MONITOR Beijing’s reminders to media: The pro-Beijing Hong Kong Federation of Journalists held a reception on Thursday to mark the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. At the reception, Zhou Ji, director of China’s Liaison Office, gave journalists three reminders. According to state-backed newspaper Ta Kung Pao, Zhou urged reporters to “have the nation in your heart and mind,” “be responsible in your writing,” and “have ideals in your heart.” He called on the media to help explain China’s modernisation, “spread China’s voice internationally,” and present a “true, multidimensional, and comprehensive” image of the country. Zhou also urged the press to “fully support the chief executive and the government,” promote “positive energy,” and guide social values by “building consensus and offering constructive thinking.” The annual event, described as a National Day celebration for Hong Kong’s media industry, barred online news outlets from attending in 2021. Organisers said in 2022 that only “mainstream media” were invited. | LOCAL MEDIA MONITOR CUHK institute’s temporary suspension: According to Ming Pao’s political column published on Monday, the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is “inclined to temporarily suspend” the release of chief executive approval ratings. Citing unnamed sources, the column said the institute had no clear timeline for resuming the polls, and it was uncertain whether they would continue in the future. The institute came under fire from Ta Kung Pao in July, which accused American scholar Morton Holbrook and Taiwanese academic Michael Hsiao – both affiliated with the institute – of being “anti-China masterminds.” The newspaper also criticised the institute after its poll showed lower support for Chief Executive John Lee than another survey, which claimed a 70 per cent approval rating. At the time, CUHK said both scholars were unpaid and would have their honorary titles revoked, adding that it would suspend future hires who might violate local laws. Ming Pao noted that, unlike the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, often attacked by pro-establishment figures, the CUHK centre had long maintained a “good relationship” with the establishment. However, some members reportedly “felt pressure” following the Ta Kung Pao report. The Ming Pao column quoted pro-Beijing commentator Lau Siu-kai as saying that public opinion surveys on the chief executive and the government had “limited” value. He suggested some residents who “still hold a sense of resistance” toward the authorities may try to undermine governance by consistently giving low ratings in polls. | SOCIAL MEDIA MONITOR YouTube account suspended over RTHK backups: A LIHKG user said on Thursday that his YouTube account – which hosted backup copies of shelved RTHK programmes – had been terminated over copyright complaints. According to a screenshot shared by the user, YouTube said three videos received takedown requests from “Radio Television Hong Kong.” The clips included a Hong Kong Connection episode on the Yuen Long mob attacks, which occurred on July 21, 2019. The notice listed “rthkcdu@gmail.com” as the complainant’s contact. However, official RTHK staff emails end with “rthk.gov.hk.” Another channel previously claimed it received similar complaints from the same Gmail address, which YouTube upheld, leading to its suspension. In response to HKFP’s enquiry, an RTHK spokesperson did not confirm or deny whether the broadcaster had requested the video removals. The spokesperson said RTHK was “committed to protecting the intellectual property rights of all its productions” and would “take appropriate follow-up action if any infringement is identified.” As of Friday afternoon, several YouTube channels still hosted multiple RTHK backup videos. RTHK announced in 2021 that it would remove shows from YouTube and Facebook one year after airing to align with its website archive. The broadcaster has since deleted older social-media content, citing “resource constraints,” amid criticism and editorial shake-ups following accusations of anti-government bias. Wanted activists warned by Google: Exiled former lawmaker Ted Hui, who is wanted by Hong Kong authorities for alleged national security offences, said on Facebook on Wednesday that he had received a warning from Google about possible attempts by “government-backed attackers” to steal his password. A screenshot Hui shared showed Google cautioning that such alerts are sent to “less than 0.1% of all Gmail users.” The company said it could not disclose details of what triggered the warning, noting that doing so could help attackers “change their tactics.” Independent outlet ReNews reported the following day that two other wanted activists, Carmen Lau and Chloe Cheung, received similar warnings. In 2016, HK01 reported that then-lawmakers Baggio Leung and James To, as well as Occupy Central co-founder Chan Kin-man, also received Google alerts about suspected “government-backed” hacking attempts. Google advises users who receive such warnings to reset their passwords, enable two-step verification, and enrol in its Advanced Protection Program for added security. | HKFP PHOTO OF THE WEEK Anti-war demo: Five Hong Kong activists staged a march in Tsim Sha Tsui on Tuesday, condemning Israel’s war on Gaza and calling for an immediate ceasefire. The demonstration coincided with the second anniversary of the latest conflict in the Palestinian territory. The protesters carried Palestinian flags and placards denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “genocidal war criminal” and demanding the “abolition of the Zionist state.” They also chanted slogans such as “Stop the genocide,” “Free, free Palestine,” and “From Ukraine to Palestine, occupation is a crime.” Police officers arrived at the Tsim Sha Tsui ferry pier approximately 10 minutes after the protest began. They took photos of the protesters and checked some of their identity documents, including an Egyptian passport held by a man who joined the group during a brief stopover at Chungking Mansions. Around a dozen officers followed the group as they marched back toward the MTR station. | BEST OF THE REST CNN: Three CNN reporters on three continents wore chemical-tracking wristbands. The results were alarming The Wall Street Journal: What’s in Your Go-Bag? How Taiwan Packs for Disaster