Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai denies he wants Western ‘dismemberment’ of China

On 50th day of marathon trial, former media boss says he believes Communist Party can remain in power if it ends ‘tyrannical’ rule

Reading Time:3 minutes

Jimmy Lai has denied welcoming the “dismemberment” of China by Western powers in his 50th day of testimony in court. Photo: AP

Published: 6:00pm, 3 Mar 2025

Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has said he believes the Communist Party of China can remain in power if it ends its “tyrannical” rule, while dismissing prosecutors’ suggestion that he welcomes Western “dismemberment” of the country.

Lai also told his national security trial on Monday he did not consider China a member of the international community because the government in Beijing did not share Western democratic values, although the world still saw the nation as “a trade partner”.

Prosecutors wrapped up their cross-examination of Lai’s verbal evidence on his 50th day in the witness box at West Kowloon Court, contending he had been striving all along for the United States’ interests at the expense of Hong Kong and mainland China.

The 77-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper is expected to complete his oral testimony this week after taking the witness stand to contest two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.

The court’s attention was drawn to a draft article Lai wrote for the Wall Street Journal in August 2019, in which the defendant urged the United States to “display its moral authority” and preserve Hongkongers’ freedom through sanctions on Hong Kong and mainland officials.

The commentary’s closing remarks read: “The world won’t have peace living with a monolithic dictator [Xi Jinping] like China among free nations. We must confront China with human rights now instead of appeasing it for commercial interest. We have eliminated slavery, why not tyranny!”