A statement of freedom: T-shirt slogan goes viral and book sales rocket in Taiwan after Hong Kong raids

A woman was seen leaving one of Hong Kong’s few remaining independent bookstores. She had her hands behind her back, but her head was held high. Her T-shirt carried a simple message: I am a bookstore employee.

The woman was among five people arrested during police raids on two bookstores last week. They are suspected of displaying and selling publications with seditious content. This is a crime under the national security law and can lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

Since then, the phrase on her T-shirt has become popular on Taiwanese social media. Many people are expressing worry about what might happen to booksellers in Hong Kong.

Taiwan is currently the only place in the Chinese-speaking world where people can openly share their views about repression by the Chinese government.

On the social media platform Threads, booksellers, politicians, and activists have used the hashtag “I am a bookstore employee” to show support for Hong Kong. Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, also shared a message on Facebook, stating that ideas and words should never be silenced by political pressure.

This is the third time in recent months that people connected to independent bookstores in Hong Kong have been arrested. The authorities in Hong Kong have not revealed which books were considered seditious in the latest raids. However, after the arrests, Hong Kong’s security chief, Chris Tang, stated that booksellers have a duty to ensure their books are lawful. He compared it to food merchants needing to ensure their products are safe for people to consume. All five people arrested were later released on bail.

Reports suggest that the books in question may have included ‘Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping’s China’, written by journalist Emily Feng. Following news of the arrests, this book saw a significant increase in sales in Taiwan.

Acropolis Publishing, the Taiwanese publisher, ordered an emergency reprint of 10,000 extra copies. A senior editor at the publishing house, Sara Sung, explained that some readers were purchasing the book as a demonstration of their commitment to democracy and freedom. She added that these actions show a refusal to be silenced or intimidated by censorship from China.

Chang Hui-ju, the owner of Touat Books, an independent bookshop in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital, reported that her store had completely sold out of Feng’s book. She noted that before the incident, very few people were interested in it, but after the arrests, it sold out quickly everywhere.

Another bookshop in Taipei, Kuo’s Astral Bookshop, also sold all copies of the book. One customer, Wu Jia-xuan, who was looking for the book, mentioned that she wasn't usually interested in books about China. However, the Hong Kong arrests had made her curious. She felt that the fact the book might be banned only increased her interest.

Feng’s book explores the ideological control exerted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping over the country. A specific chapter focuses on Lam Wing-kee, a well-known Hong Kong bookseller. Lam was arrested by Chinese authorities in 2015 but managed to escape and flee to Taiwan, where he reopened his bookstore, Causeway Bay Books.

Lam passed away earlier this month, and the future of his Taipei store remains uncertain. The shopfront is currently closed and adorned with messages, flowers, and drinks left by his supporters. Lam’s story highlights the complicated relationship between Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China.

Taiwan has never been part of the People’s Republic of China. However, Beijing claims the self-governing island as its own territory and aims to unify it with China. Beijing has proposed a framework called ‘one country, two systems’ for Taiwan, similar to the arrangement in Hong Kong. However, over 80% of Taiwanese people reject this idea.

In Taiwan, politicians from the ruling Democratic Progressive party (DPP), which opposes closer ties with China, frequently point to Hong Kong as an example of the dangers of Chinese rule. The crackdown in Hong Kong in 2019 is considered a key factor that motivated DPP voters and helped Lai’s predecessor, Tsai Ing-wen, win the election in 2020.

On Monday, DPP legislator Wu Pei-yi referred to the Hong Kong raids as China ‘burning books’. While politicians express strong support for Hong Kong, practical actions, such as accepting refugees, have been limited. Lev Nachman, a political science professor at National Taiwan University in Taipei, explained that for DPP politicians, Hong Kong serves as an easy way to illustrate the potential consequences for Taiwan if China were to unify the island. However, he described the actual support as superficial.

For people in mainland China, Taiwan represents the last place in the Chinese-speaking world where they can access books freely, without fear of censorship by the Communist party. A student from Fujian province visited Touat Books seeking a copy of Feng’s book. She had read about the Hong Kong raids on social media, which kept her awake late into the night. She noted that such news would not appear in China and that it was a shock. She expressed a belief that independent thought should be permitted, at least in Hong Kong.