Taiwan hails late Hong Kong bookseller for ‘resistance’ against China

A memorial service was held in Taipei on July 31, 2026, to honor Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, who passed away on July 2 after battling cancer. The 70-year-old Lam had fled to Taiwan in 2019 following his detention by China, sparking widespread alarm in Hong Kong. Premier Cho Jung-tai praised Lam's "resistance and defiance" against the Chinese Communist Party, emphasizing that even if a dictatorship could close doors, it could never suppress the soul that yearns for freedom.

The certificate presented to Lam's son, who traveled from Britain, was received but not spoken about by him. Several senior Taiwanese officials attended the ceremony, which was followed by a separate memorial service attended by over 100 people. Tseng Chien-yuan, executive director of Citizen Congress Watch, noted that despite Lam's frail appearance, his defense of freedom remained strong.

Lam's story began in 2015 when he and four other publishers were detained in Hong Kong for selling controversial books about China's leadership, leading to their disappearances in mainland custody. In 2016, Lam returned to Hong Kong under the condition of handing over a hard drive with customer information, but instead fled, revealing his harrowing experience under Chinese police custody.

His activism continued in Taiwan, where he reopened his bookstore and urged locals to cherish democracy. In April 2022, Lam was diagnosed with stage four lung adenocarcinoma, leading to the closure of his bookshop in 2023 due to health issues.