Jimmy Lai denies trying to spread fear Beijing would take over Hong Kong

Ex-media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying denied on Monday that he had tried to spread fear by suggesting Beijing would take over Hong Kong if an extradition bill was passed in 2019 but conceded he went too far with claims central authorities could destroy the “one country, two systems” governing principle.

Prosecutors grilled Lai on Monday about articles published by his now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper months before large-scale protests broke out over the later-withdrawn extradition bill in June 2019.

The bill, proposed by then leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s administration, would have allowed the transfer of fugitives to jurisdictions that Hong Kong lacked an extradition deal with, including mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.

In one article, Lai urged the public to stand against authorities if they did not wish to become “a lamb to the slaughter”.

Lai, 77, is contesting two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.

The court heard on Monday that Lai wrote an article dated April 2019 that said the bill would damage Hong Kong’s judicial system and turn the city’s business environment into a “lawless” place similar to his view of mainland China.

He claimed Hongkongers would be ruled over and monitored by central authorities under the proposed law, with the resulting climate of fear making people irrational and subservient.