Imprisoned Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has started giving evidence in his national security trial, and is being taken through his international connections in minute detail as he fights the charge of colluding with foreign forces.
Mr Lai has been in jail for nearly four years and this trial started almost a year ago, although it has been on a months-long hiatus.
A graphic shown to the court detailing every single foreign connection of interest included United States president-elect Donald Trump, and his vice-president and secretary of state from his first term.
Mr Lai was adamant he never met or communicated with Trump, even indirectly, while being questioned by his defence lawyer.
Of his meeting with then-vice-president Mike Pence, Mr Lai said he was simply telling him about the situation in Hong Kong.
“I would not dare to ask the US to do anything. I just related to him what happened in Hong Kong,” he said.
“And asked [Mr Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] to say something to voice their support for Hong Kong.”
‘Delivering freedom is a good idea’
The prosecution alleges Mr Lai had been advocating for overseas governments to enact sanctions on Hong Kong through articles in his newspaper.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested in 2020. (AP: Kin Cheung)
Mr Lai rose to prominence as a businessman in Hong Kong, founding the clothing brand Giordano, before moving into publishing, running Next Magazine and The Apple Daily.
“I started a media business because after June 4 [the Tiananmen Square massacre], I thought it was a good opportunity for someone like me, a businessman who has made some money, to participate in delivering information — which I think is freedom,” he said.
“So delivering freedom is a good idea for me at the time.
“Because the more information you have, the more you are in the know, the more you are free.”
Mr Lai said his media company was founded with “Hong Kong values” of “rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly”, and that’s why it had been so popular.
He told the court the paper never supported violence, particularly during the 2019 protests, nor Hong Kong or Taiwan independence.
“I always thought the advocacy of independence of Hong Kong is a conspiracy … to get us in a trap,” Mr Lai said.
“It was never a reality, it was a crazy [idea].
“I never allowed the newspaper or our staff to mention this.”
Lai questioned about Taiwan connections
Mr Lai was questioned about why he had introduced two friends of his — former US deputy secretary of defence Paul Wolfowitz and former US Army General Jack Keane — to the previous Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen.
Mr Lai has residency in Taiwan and referred to Ms Tsai as a friend who he had known long before she became president.
“We always talk about US policy and she knew I was supportive of Trump and the Republican policy, and I was very much in touch with the think tanks in the US,” he said.
“President Tsai wants to know the thinking and sentiment of the Trump administration and these two friends of mine had access to the Trump administration unofficially.
“If I wanted to achieve something, I just wanted to help Taiwan to … know how to deal with the US, because Taiwan is the only democracy of Chinese people in the whole history of Chinese people.”
Mr Lai is expected to give evidence for about a fortnight.
Jimmy Lai’s wife Teresa Lai arrives at her husband’s trial.
(AP: Chan Long Hei)
