The treatment meted out to Gui Minhai makes me wonder about events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair.
In recent years, Chinese officials and executives from state publishing houses have been a major presence in Frankfurt. When a state kidnaps an author and bookseller, strips him of foreigncitizenship, and imprisons him for dealing in ideas, that state’s continued participation in a book fair undermines the legitimacy of the fair.
Of course, in the event of a pandemic, many such events will be canceled, so it may not be necessary to address the question this year. But the question will not go away.
A. E. Clark