Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

China and US clash again after Jimmy Lai convicted of fraud by Hong Kong court

China and US clash again after Jimmy Lai convicted of fraud by Hong Kong court

US State Department spokesman calls verdict ‘grossly unjust outcome’ and asks central government to respect ‘freedom of expression’.

Beijing has hit out at the United States for its attempt to “whitewash criminals” after Washington politicians condemned the “grossly unjust outcome” of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s latest trial, where the media tycoon was jailed for almost six years for fraud offences.

The latest war of words between the two countries was sparked by US Department of State spokesman Ned Price, who on Sunday appealed to the central government to respect freedom of expression, including for the press, in Hong Kong in the wake of Lai’s conviction on two charges of fraud.

“The United States condemns the grossly unjust outcome of Jimmy Lai’s latest trial sentencing,” Price wrote on Twitter. “By any objective measure, this result is neither fair nor just.”


US State Department spokesman Ned Price.

But Beijing’s foreign affairs office in Hong Kong hit back and said it strongly disapproved and firmly rejected “irresponsible comments” on the Lai case made by Price and a few US congressmen.

The office spokesman said Hongkongers’ rights were fully protected, but insisted rights and freedoms could not be used as an “immunity passport for lawbreakers, or a privilege for anti-China forces”.

“In Jimmy Lai’s fraud case, the evidence is clear, the procedure is law-based, and the judgment is open and transparent. The trial by the special administrative region court is totally legitimate and lawful and it brooks no interference or reproach,” he said.

Beijing’s office in the city also slammed Washington for accusing it of not respecting the freedom of the press “just because the case involves an anti-China criminal”.

The spokesman claimed America’s actions had exposed to the world Lai’s identity “as an agent and a pawn of the US”.

“The US often claims to stand up for fairness, justice and the rule of law, but it repeatedly sugarcoats criminals as ‘human rights pioneers’, smears the fair trial of [Hong Kong] courts,” he said.

He added Washington should stop its efforts to “whitewash criminals”.

Hong Kong weighed in to support of the central government and a spokesman for the city administration condemned Washington for ignoring the facts of the case to make “inaccurate and misleading” statements which also interfered with a fair trial.

He said it was unfair to the prosecution and the defence to politicise the proceedings, a fraud case that had “nothing to do with freedom of the press and speech”.

Lai was jailed for 5 years and nine months and fined HK$2 million (US$256,850) on Saturday for a breach of land lease terms by the “deliberate concealment” of a consultancy firm based at the offices of his now-closed Apple Daily newspaper.

The court convicted Lai – alongside Wong Wai-keung, the chief administrative officer at the paper’s parent company Next Digital – after they failed to disclose Dico Consultants’ operations to the landlord, the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.

The corporation prohibited the use of the offices for anything other than publication and related services.

The court ruled that Lai and Wong’s actions amounted to deliberate concealment and a fraudulent act that went beyond what would typically be a breach of contract and a civil matter.

Lai was found guilty of two fraud charges for allowing the Dico to operate from the newspaper’s headquarters in Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate for more than two decades.

Wong, convicted on one fraud charge for his role, was jailed for 21 months.

Lai was sentenced last year to a total of 20 months in prison for his involvement in four unauthorised assemblies.

Despite completing the sentence, Lai, is still remanded in custody for a High Court trial without a jury over allegations of collusion with foreign forces.

The case, however, has been indefinitely postponed for a decision by Beijing on whether Lai can be represented by a London-based barrister.

Apple Daily closed after a crackdown under the Beijing-imposed national security law in June last year.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×