Hong Kong billionaire and prominent dissident Jimmy Lai was found guilty on Monday of violating China’s 2020 National Security Law, a verdict that could see him sentenced to life in prison.
Lai, 78, was convicted on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material. The charges were tied to his role as founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, which for years served as Hong Kong’s most prominent opposition newspaper and a vocal critic of Beijing.
During the mass protests, that swept Hong Kong in 2019 and 2020 ahead of the implementation of the National Security Law, Lai emerged as one of the most visible supporters of the protest movement, which increasingly descended into violent clashes with police and widespread unrest. The law was later introduced by Beijing with the stated aim of restoring order and curbing foreign interference in the territory.
In 2019, Lai made several trips to the United States, where he met with senior U.S. officials. These included a July meeting in Washington, D.C. with then–Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, followed by an October visit in which he again met Pompeo as well as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
During his July trip, Lai also spoke at an event hosted by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington-based think tank known for its hawkish positions on China. At the event, Lai stated that “Hong Kong is fighting a war of the same values as America,” adding that Hong Kong protesters were “fighting your war in your enemy’s camp.”
Prosecutors cited Lai’s U.S. visits, his remarks at the FDD event, and his lobbying of foreign governments as central evidence in their case, arguing that he actively sought external pressure and intervention against Beijing and the Hong Kong government. Court filings referenced transcripts of his speeches and communications with foreign officials as proof of coordination with outside forces.
Following the enactment of the National Security Law in mid-2020, Lai was arrested multiple times, with his final arrest occurring in December of that year. Apple Daily was forced to shut down in 2021 after authorities froze its assets and charged senior staff under the new law.
The National Security Law marked the most sweeping political change in Hong Kong since its return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. The legislation allows for severe penalties, including life imprisonment, and expanded Beijing’s authority over the territory’s legal and political system, including provisions allowing certain cases to be handled in mainland China.