The 78-year-old outspoken critic of China’s ruling Communist Party awaits sentencing on Monday after being convicted in December of conspiring to commit sedition and colluding with foreign forces. Observers point to his landmark trial as a symbol of the ongoing crackdown that began in 2020 on press and other freedoms, fundamentally altering Hong Kong, the former British colony that returned to Chinese control in 1997.
The Hong Kong government maintains that Lai’s case is not related to press freedom but is instead a matter of legality upheld by the law. A migrant from mainland China, Lai made his fortune in the garment industry before founding the Apple Daily newspaper, where his critical writings about the Chinese and Hong Kong governments often highlighted their restrictions on freedoms. His work ultimately led to the publication’s closure, with his writings being used as evidence against him in court.
Lai was born in 1947 in Guangzhou, China, just two years before the communists ascended to power. He stowed away on a fishing boat to Hong Kong at the age of 12, seeking better opportunities in the British colony. His initial foray into the garment sector began when he worked as a child laborer in a glove factory.
In 1981, he founded Giordano, a casual clothing chain that grew into an international brand with 1,600 stores across 30 countries, according to its website. However, he sold his stake in Giordano in the mid-1990s due to pressures from Beijing, especially after he called hard-line Premier Li Peng “the son of a turtle egg,” a derogatory term, in response to the government’s violent suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989.
This violent crackdown was transformative for Lai. Giordano printed T-shirts supporting the pro-democracy protests, and in 1990 he ventured into publishing by founding Next Magazine. Five years later, he launched the Apple Daily, a tabloid-style publication that attracted readers with sensational reports and investigative pieces, openly criticizing the government. This criticism, some observers say, ultimately placed him in jeopardy.
Lai was active in the streets during the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, where demonstrators used umbrellas to shield themselves from police pepper spray. The Apple Daily provided sympathetic coverage of the movement. In 2019, he re-emerged during new protests against government actions, calling on U.S. officials, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, to raise concerns about Hong Kong’s situation-a contentious issue during his trial.
In 2020, after the imposition of a national security law by China’s central government, Lai was arrested about a month later. He has been in custody since December 2020, and those close to him note that he has lost weight in prison. A Roman Catholic, Lai has drawn images depicting the crucifixion of Jesus while incarcerated, according to a priest friend who received one of his drawings.
At his trial in November, he testified, “For truth prevails in God’s kingdom, and that’s good enough for me,” asserting that his writings for the Apple Daily were devoid of malice or sedition. Shortly after the security law took effect, Lai told the Associated Press in July 2020 that “Hong Kong is dead.” He added, “If I have to go to prison, I don’t mind. I don’t care; it won’t be something I can worry about. I’ll just relax and do what I have to do.”
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/world/what-to-know-about-jimmy-lais-hong-kong-journey-from-media-mogul-and-activist-to-convict-10522068/
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Publish Date: 2026-02-09 12:22:00
