Jimmy Lai Downplays US Ties in First Remarks in Landmark HK Case
- Ex-media mogul testifies in security law trial for first time
- Trump, Starmer have talked about his case in recent weeks
Hong Kong’s former media tycoon Jimmy Lai rebuffed allegations he colluded with foreign governments against China in his first testimony at a landmark national security trial, forcefully fighting charges that could see the 76-year-old put away for life.
Lai denied using his connections with foreign officials to influence their policy toward the former British colony on Wednesday, his first public remarks since his 2020 detention. The founder of now-shuttered Apple Daily sought to cast his exchanges with overseas politicians as innocuous, including a meeting with Mike Pence during pro-democracy protests that roiled the financial hub in 2019.