Taiwanese bookstores, lawmakers condemn 'red terror' as Hong Kong arrests spark outrage

Taiwanese independent bookstores and lawmakers have jointly condemned the arrest of five employees at a Hong Kong bookstore for selling a Taiwanese-published book titled "Blooming Red: Identity and Belonging in the Era of Xi Jinping." Hong Kong police accused the bookstore of displaying and selling items with "seditious intent."

“

I am a bookstore employee, I advocate for absolute reading freedom!

At a press conference in Taiwan's Legislative Yuan, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Wu Pei-yi denounced the arrests as an act of "book burning" by China. She criticized the Chinese government for allowing only "red voices" and "red appearances," contrasting it with China's past promises of "a hundred flowers blooming." Wu expressed heartbreak for Taiwan and strongly condemned Beijing's actions, highlighting the erosion of political freedom, assembly, and association in Hong Kong.

Wu warned that China's "long-arm jurisdiction" is expanding internationally with the implementation of its "National Unity Promotion Law." She also urged support for Taiwan's cultural and arts industries, criticizing opposition lawmakers for attempting to cut the Ministry of Culture's budget. DPP legislator Chen Pei-yu, a former bookstore owner, expressed concern that any bookstore could become a crime scene, questioning the future of freedom in Taiwan, especially with perceived collaborators in the KMT and TPP parties.

“

China is actually 'burning books.' The arrest of Hong Kong bookstore employees for displaying 'Blooming Red' shows that instead of 'a hundred flowers blooming' as promised during China's reform and opening up, only 'red voices' and 'red appearances' are now permitted. This pains us Taiwanese and we strongly condemn the Chinese government.

Liu Chien-hsin of the Friendly Book Supply Cooperative emphasized that criminalizing the professional work of bookstores stifles the entire industry. Zhang Hui-ru, owner of Left Turn Books, drew parallels to Taiwan's past history of banned books and expressed concern over China's ambitions toward Taiwan. She urged people to buy physical books, citing the disappearance of online content from outlets like Apple Daily.

“

The professional work of bookstores should not be criminalized!

Chen Wei-jen, founder of Tianhe Bookstore, noted Taiwan's high publication rate and the crucial role of bookstores in connecting readers with good books and understanding civilization. He contrasted Taiwan's freedom of publication and speech with China's cognitive warfare, which he claims rarely attacks Taiwan's lack of publishing freedom because China lacks it. Wang Wei-tzu, founder of Monsoon Bookstore, affirmed readers' and bookstores' rights to choose what to read and sell, expressing hope that Taiwan will maintain its freedom of reading.

“

What happened in Hong Kong deeply resonates with me. Fifty years ago, my father also ran a bookstore and sold banned books. Hearing adults talk about Song Chu-yu's men confiscating them reminded me of Taiwan's past history and worries me about Taiwan's future, as China has never hidden its ambition to annex and invade Taiwan.