At Taipei's giant International Book Exhibition, one small space is showcasing the work of authors from Hong Kong, where an ongoing crackdown on public dissent and freedom of expression has led to some writers publishing their work in Taiwan.
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00:00Inside Taipei's massive annual book fair,
00:02a small space showcasing the work of authors from Hong Kong,
00:06where an ongoing crackdown on public dissent and freedom of expression by the Chinese government
00:11has led to some writers moving to Taiwan or publishing their work here.
00:30Lu Changshui, who works to strengthen Hong Kong-Taiwan ties,
00:42says many artists and writers from Hong Kong moved to Taiwan after 2019.
00:47That year, millions of people took to the streets to protest a proposed bill that
00:50would allow extraditions to mainland China.
00:53In 2020, the Chinese government imposed a national security law,
00:57criminalizing secession and subversion and giving China a tool to further curb freedoms.
01:02Public libraries have removed books that could break the law,
01:05including titles about the 1989 Tiananmen massacre and books by pro-democracy figures.
01:10While many authors and independent bookstores still want to put out good work,
01:14fear has spilled over into the publishing industry.
01:17It's here that some in Taiwan have stepped in,
01:20with libraries stocking books removed from shelves in Hong Kong.
01:23One researcher at the book fair is also collecting
01:26other things from the semi-autonomous Chinese city.
01:53And here in Taipei,
01:56recent books by Hong Kong authors are on display for thousands of visitors,
01:59some of them hard to find in that city.
02:03This is just one of the books displayed here.
02:04It's a collection of photos and essays about the 2014 umbrella movement in Hong Kong.
02:09That's when tens of thousands of people took to the streets
02:11to call for fair and transparent elections.
02:14The exhibit, organized by Taiwan's Office in Charge of Relations with China,
02:18the Mainland Affairs Council,
02:19and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Cooperation Council,
02:23also hosted talks by Hong Kong artists and writers.
02:26Among them, two Hong Kong authors who have published books in Taiwan,
02:29including Chen Hui, who moved to Taiwan in 2018.
02:52The talk also attracted Hong Kong visitors,
02:55including this writer who was interested in hearing
02:57what other Hong Kong authors had to say.
03:22These questions, just some of many,
03:33faced by Hong Kong artists and writers,
03:36caught in the middle of a crackdown on freedoms.
03:39Justin Wu and Kings Kuranta for Taiwan Plus.