How Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment points to China’s tightening grip

Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy activist and media mogul based in Hong Kong, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, in what is the harshest sentence for a national security offence awarded in the region so far. Founder of the tabloid Apple Daily, which ceased operations in 2021 amid Beijing’s crackdown on pro-democracy agitators in the Chinese Special Administrative Region (SAR), Lai, 78, spent more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement, facing conspiracy charges for publishing seditious material. In December 2025, Lai was convicted for these charges and also found guilty of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” – a charge stemming from his meetings with US politicians. ### Apple Daily saga Alongside Lai, the Hong Kong court also handed out sentences to six former employees of Apple Daily. Lai established the newspaper in 1995, which took centre-stage during the large-scale unrest of 2019, and the subsequent clampdown by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Lai had personally taken part in some of the demonstrations. China has dismissed calls from Western governments for Lai’s release as “blatant interference” in the country’s internal affairs. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he raised the publisher’s case during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing last month. US President Donald Trump has previously said that he asked Xi to consider releasing Lai. Before this, Trump promised, “100 percent I’ll get him out. He’ll be easy to get out.” ## Lai and Hong Kong’s eroding autonomy Born in poverty in mainland China, Lai had moved to Hong Kong and worked his way up the textile sector. He attributed his rise from rags to riches to the freedoms the city afforded. However, Hong Kong’s autonomy has steadily eroded since it was returned by Britain to China in 1997. In June 2019, the Hong Kong government proposed an amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance, a move that would have allowed criminal suspects in the city to be extradited to mainland China. The decision triggered fears that Beijing could use the law to target political critics, raising broader concerns about the city’s jurisdiction, judicial independence and its special status under the “one country, two systems” principle. ‘One Country, Two Systems’ Alongside Macau, the economic enclave fell under the ambit of the “One Country, Two Systems” – a constitutional principle that acknowledges that the region is a part of communist-ruled China while allowing it to maintain its capitalist system and way of life. The Basic Law, Hong Kong’s constitutional document, which came into effect in 1997, gave legal effect to the principle. Alongside Macau, the economic enclave fell under the ambit of the “One Country, Two Systems” – a constitutional principle that acknowledges that the region is a part of communist-ruled China while allowing it to maintain its capitalist system and way of life. The Basic Law, Hong Kong’s constitutional document, which came into effect in 1997, gave legal effect to the principle. The CCP, while not formally administering Hong Kong’s day-to-day governance, backed the local government’s hardline stance, condemning protestors for what it viewed as a threat to national sovereignty. The authorities attempted to crack down on the initial wave of protests, but eventually, the Extradition Bill was withdrawn. The protests came to an end by September 2020, also hampered by the rules in place during the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2020, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (the legislative body) in Beijing later passed the National Security Law, sharply curtailing dissent and reshaping the political landscape in the CCP’s favour. Lai was arrested soon after. Beijing’s iron fist Many view the targeting of Lai as part of a repressive campaign under Xi. It is aimed at consolidating control over the country’s political affairs as Beijing’s grows more assertive, including towards Taiwan. Lai is among the many influential figures who have fallen prey to Beijing’s bid to cut out what it calls “foreign influence,” and silence any challenge to its authority. Over the past few years, the party has purged various entrepreneurs and celebrities who have been critical of the regime, targeting many of them in anti-graft cases. Similarly, giant corporations, ranging from Alibaba to Tencent, have faced regulatory crackdowns, aligned with the party’s goal to curb corporate influence over society. Those within the political establishment and the military weren’t spared either. Since 2023, the top leadership of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has seen several officials getting the boot. Last month, Zhang Youxia, a top general and second in command of the military after Xi, was removed from office. It seemed to echo Mao Zedong’s famous slogan: “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” Mao, the first leader of the Communist Chinese republic, was also the Chairman of the CCP Central Military Commission (CMC) until his death. In late 2025, Beijing initiated a systemic clearance of “naked officials”— a term used for CCP cadres with spouses or children residing abroad – compelling them to repatriate immediate family members, thereby neutralising potential Western leverage. President Xi is also the CCP General Secretary and the head of the CMC, making him the head of the state, party and military. He consolidated authority further by removing presidential term limits in 2018, making him the most powerful person in the country since the era of Mao.