The editor-in-chief of a Taiwanese publishing house, Li Yanhe, has been sentenced to three years in prison by a Chinese court for allegedly inciting separatism. This conviction, reported by a Chinese government spokesperson, raises significant concerns about the safety of publishing books that criticize the Chinese government, even beyond mainland China's borders.
Li, a Chinese national who had been residing in Taiwan, was detained during a visit to China two years ago. Reports from Taiwanese media indicate that he was tried and sentenced in a Shanghai court, although specific details of the charges remain unclear. In addition to his prison sentence, Li has been fined 50,000 yuan, equivalent to approximately $6,900. The spokesperson for China's Taiwan Affairs Office confirmed that Li pleaded guilty and did not appeal the verdict.
The historical context of this case is vital: Taiwan and China have been separated since 1949, following a civil war that led to the Communist Party establishing power in Beijing. The Chinese government considers Taiwan a part of its territory and insists that it must eventually come under Chinese control. It remains vigilant against activities perceived as separatist, despite Taiwan's self-governing status and its lack of officially declared independence.
Chinese authorities have not disclosed the specifics of Li's actions that led to the incitement charge. Gusa Publishing, where he worked, is known for publishing books that discuss topics often censored in China, including corruption and authoritarianism, as well as accounts of the military's violent 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests centered in Tiananmen Square.
The Taiwanese government has stated that Li's detention reflects an effort to suppress Taiwan's publishing, academic, and cultural sectors, aiming to instigate a chilling effect on freedom of expression. In a statement shared on Facebook, Gusa Publishing expressed that Li's colleagues are "angry and upset," and they struggle to understand why he would face such grave charges merely for being a publisher.
Concerns about the broader implications of Li’s conviction were echoed by figures in the Chinese-language publishing community. Yu Miao, a bookstore owner in Washington, D.C., emphasized that this development is likely to adversely affect decisions regarding future publications. He remarked, "It shows it is not safe to publish books about China in Taiwan or anywhere else," highlighting his personal experience after previously owning a bookstore in Shanghai that was forced to close in 2018 due to governmental pressures.
This situation echoes previous incidents, including the 2015 abduction of five Hong Kong-based booksellers by Chinese authorities, among them a Swedish citizen and a British national. These events became emblematic of China's stringent measures to silence political dissent, demonstrating that its enforcement tactics extend beyond mainland China to regions such as Hong Kong.
This case involving Li Yanhe continues to illuminate the precarious landscape of freedom of expression and publishing in the Chinese-speaking world, raising pressing questions about the future of literature that challenges authoritarian narratives.
