In a poignant turn of events, Lam Wing-kee, a daring bookseller who defied China's authority by selling critical materials, passed away on Thursday at the age of 70. He succumbed to lung cancer in Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, where he was admitted earlier this week and later slipped into a coma. Known for his courageous stand against Beijing, Lam was one of several booksellers detained in 2015 for selling materials criticizing China's political elite on the mainland. Fearing extradition under Hong Kong's proposed bill, he fled to Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province, in 2019. The reopening of Lam's Causeway Bay Books bookshop was seen as a symbol of democracy and freedom on the island by Taiwanese authorities. In his last interview with BBC Witness History, Lam expressed his unwavering commitment to freedom of expression, stating that everyone should stand up for their values and not betray others. His arrest in 2015, followed by his detention and the disappearance of other bookshop owners and staff, sparked fears of China's encroachment on Hong Kong's freedoms, leading to the months-long mass protests in 2019. Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te expressed deep sadness over Lam's death, praising him for his resilience in upholding freedom of expression in the face of authoritarian repression.