Hong Kong to toughen national security checks for food, entertainment spots

10/6/2025 19:48

Hong Kong will toughen screening of caterers and other food and entertainment businesses for potential violations of national security, which civil servants should accord top priority in deciding licence approvals, the city's leader said on Tuesday.



Critics see the move as targeting the Asian financial hub's many businesses, including cafes and restaurants, that have displayed posters, symbols or images expressing solidarity with its embattled pro-democracy movement.



Numbering in the hundreds, and sometimes called "conscience-driven businesses", they face growing pressure from authorities, such as greater tax scrutiny and fire safety and customs checks, at a time when many reel from an economic and retail downturn.