Inside Jimmy Lai's sentence hearing: What he sowed, he now reaps

Editor's note: Kong Qingjiang, a special commentator for CGTN, is the vice dean of the School of International Law, China University of Political Science and Law. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

On December 15, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) High Court rendered a ruling in the case involving Jimmy Lai's alleged violation of the Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong national security law). Jimmy Lai was found guilty of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. The court's sentencing hearing began on January 12 and will continue through January 15.

For a long time, Lai has spared no effort in acting as a lackey for Western anti-China forces. His story is that of a man who profiteers from freedom of the press in Hong Kong to become a media tycoon and who abuses the freedom to undermine China's national security.

Lai's journey is an interesting one. From a stowaway to a garment factory owner and eventually to the owner of a media kingdom of Hong Kong – including outlets such as now-defunct tabloid Apple Daily and Next Digital – all within less than 3 decades. Ironically, not long after he became a highly influential figure in Hong Kong's media sector at the turn of Hong Kong's return to China, he began to exploit freedom of the press in the HKSAR, using his media platforms to intervene in politics and to promote anti-China narratives with an aim to destabilize Hong Kong.

He has continuously published seditious advertisements, articles, op-eds, and opinions attacking the HKSAR government and smearing the police in pursuit of ulterior political objectives. Apple Daily alone concocted 161 seditious articles, persistently inciting hatred, glorifying violence, and begging for foreign sanctions.

He was a major financial backer and the mastermind behind the illegal "Occupy Central" movement in 2014. Then, in 2019, under the pretext of opposing amendments to Hong Kong's extradition law, he directly participated in the planning and organizing of various types of radical street protests, instigating people to take to the streets, and inciting violent protests.

It was he who launched the "One Person, One Letter to Save Hong Kong" campaign, openly begging the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries to impose sanctions on the People's Republic of China. For years, he has long maintained collusion with external anti-China forces through political contributions and other means, repeatedly and publicly calling on foreign countries to interfere in Hong Kong's internal affairs.

It was clear from the illegal "Occupy Central" movement in 2014 through the period following the enactment of the Hong Kong national security law in 2020 that Lai's criminal activities never ended. Even after the enactment of the Hong Kong national security law, he showed no restraint; instead, he became even more engaged in inciting unrest and openly soliciting foreign interference. Notably, many of the seditious articles of Apple Daily were released after the enactment of the Hong Kong national security law. 

People familiar with forensic science have found that he constructed a complete criminal chain of "financial support – media propaganda – collusion with foreign forces – and street actions." By leveraging platforms such as Apple Daily, he formed a self-reinforcing loop of public opinion and deceived large numbers of young people into taking to the streets.

His acts severely disrupted Hong Kong's social order and dealt devastating blows to its economy, with numerous shops vandalized, looted and set on fire, and families across the city deeply affected, gravely undermining the well-being of Hong Kong residents, along with the fundamental interests of the country.

Jimmy Lai willingly acted as a pawn of external forces in their vicious scheme of "using Hong Kong to contain China." For years, he manipulated anti-China forces and destabilizing elements, disseminated rhetoric advocating for so-called Hong Kong independence, black-clad violence and mutual destruction, with the intent to incite others to subvert the authority of the HKSAR government.

He even went so far as to instruct the preparation of a "sanctions list" by ordering the senior management of Apple Daily to compile a list of officials from the Hong Kong government and relevant personnel from the mainland, to be provided to foreign forces as targets for sanctions.

From what Lai had done, it can be said that the brazen interference in Hong Kong's affairs by the United States and other countries is precisely because it has nurtured pawns like Jimmy Lai who collude from within and outside, working in cahoots to create chaos. Such interests served as the masterminds behind the Hong Kong so-called color revolution. Their actions seriously endangered national security, undermined Hong Kong's prosperity and stability, harmed the fundamental interests and well-being of Hong Kong citizens, and became a malignant obstacle to the steady and sustained practice of "One Country, Two Systems" and the long-term stability of Hong Kong.

Jimmy Lai and his cohorts, who meticulously conspired with external forces to disrupt Hong Kong and openly intended to subvert the region, will finally pay the price for their actions.

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