Lin Rong-ji’s death underscores China’s cross‑border crackdown on Hong Kong’s independent bookstore

Lin Rong‑ji, founder of Hong Kong’s “Copper Lane Bookstore,” died in Taiwan. The bookstore had planned in 2015 to publish a book on Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s personal life, after which its shareholders were detained across China, Thailand and Hong Kong. Lin was arrested in Shenzhen, placed under surveillance, and later released to return to Hong Kong for trial. Following the 2019 Hong Kong extradition law amendment, he moved to Taiwan to avoid possible extradition, reopening the bookstore there in 2020.

The articles describe how Chinese authorities have used cross‑border operations, likened to a modern “Jinyi‑wei” secret police, to target the bookshop’s staff and distributors, seizing a hard‑drive containing subscriber data. They note similar raids on other Hong Kong bookshops for selling pro‑democracy material. One commentary states: “林荣基因个人境遇，亦一并把自家书店的灵魂带到了台湾,” highlighting his personal plight and the relocation of the bookstore’s “soul” to Taiwan.

The situation illustrates ongoing pressure from mainland China on dissenting voices abroad and the challenges faced by independent publishers in the region.