Dissident artist Ai Weiwei says the overwhelming response from supporters keen to help him foot a 15 million yuan (HK$18.3 million) tax bill is a vote of defiance in the face of government persecution.
'They're saying ... this is our ticket to vote, this is the only chance we have to express our feelings ... [they're doing this] to express their own opinions,' Ai said yesterday.
Ai, who was detained for 81 days without charge earlier this year, sees the heavy tax penalty as retaliation by the authorities for his relentless criticism of the Communist Party.
The 54-year-old artist said he was 'very, very touched' by the enthusiasm shown by nearly 17,600 supporters who had donated 4.7 million yuan since he announced a week ago that the Beijing tax bureau was demanding that Beijing Fake Cultural Development, Ai's company, pay 15 million yuan in back taxes and fines.
'I'm more than touched - I feel the world is beautiful and our young people are full of imagination, and there is solidarity in people's hearts,' Ai said, his excitement palpable over the phone. The donations were a symbolic gesture of 'the people's power', he added. Ai said he was treating the donations as loans and promised his creditors that he would repay 'every penny'.
'I'll try not to touch this money ... and I'll return [it] as quickly as possible,' he said. 'But I'm happy to see I'm not fighting alone.'
Ai said he would try to use his own money to pay the first instalment of the fines, between eight and nine million yuan, by the November 16 deadline. He added he was confident he would be able to pay the rest of the outstanding sum.