Artist and fierce government critic Ai Weiwei has turned the tables on China’s Communist regime by transforming a crippling tax fine he says is designed to silence him into a huge wave of solidarity.
The painter, sculptor, architect and activist was a thorn in the side of the government even before he managed to pay a 8.5 million yuan (NT$40.5 million) bond thanks to money raised by some 30,000 Chinese people in record speed.
The artist disappeared into police custody for 81 days earlier this year. He was released in June, but on Nov. 1 was ordered to pay 15 million yuan (NT$71.5 million) in back taxes levied against a company he set up.
Photo: Reuters
照片:路透
Days later, a spontaneous online movement to help Ai began. Supporters sent him money orders, checks, Internet transfers, and even rolled bank notes into balls and threw them over the walls of his Beijing studio.
Renaud de Spens, a Beijing-based Internet expert, said the outcome was a “huge kick in the teeth” for the government. “The regime tried to scare him, but it was not a good strategy,” he said.
(AFP)
中國藝術家與政府的猛烈批評者艾未未最近讓中國共黨政權吃憋,因為艾未未把被他稱為企圖讓他消音的政府鉅額逃稅罰金,變成了一股強大的團結浪潮。
即使在他尚未透過三萬名中國民眾在創紀錄的極短時間內募得高達人民幣八百五十萬元(新台幣四千零五十萬元)的保證金之前,身兼畫家、雕塑家、建築師與運動人士多重身份的艾未未就一直被中國政府視為眼中釘。
這位藝術家今年稍早曾遭警方拘留,有八十一天音訊全無。他後來在六月獲釋,但十一月一日又被要求繳交他所開設公司積欠的人民幣一千五百萬元(新台幣七千一百五十萬元)逃漏稅金。
數天後,網路上自動自發地出現一場幫助艾未未的運動。支持者寄給他匯票、支票、或透過網路轉帳,甚至把鈔票捲成小球,直接朝他位在北京工作室的牆裡丟。
住在北京的網路專家何諾表示,這種結果對當局而言是「料想不到的重大挫敗」。他說,「中國政權企圖嚇唬他,但這並不是個好策略。」
(法新社)
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A: “Forbes” magazine just revealed Hollywood’s top 10 highest-paid stars of 2023. B: How much did those superstars make last year? A: Denzel Washington was at No. 10, having made US$24 million, which is about NT$771 million. B: That’s an astronomical figure to me. A: No. 9 to No. 6 were: Ben Affleck with US$38 million, Jason Statham with US$41 million, Leonardo DiCaprio with US$41 million, and Jennifer Aniston with US$42 million. A: 《富比世》最近公布了好萊塢去年的片酬排行榜。 B: 大明星的片酬到底有多高? A: 第10名是丹佐華盛頓、片酬2400萬美元,大約7.7億台幣。 B: 天啊這根本是天文數字! A: 第9到6名是︰班艾佛列克、3800萬美元,傑森史塔森、4100萬美元,李奧納多狄卡皮歐、4100萬美元,珍妮佛安妮斯頓、4200萬美元。 (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)