Jimmy Lai denies being Chinese, tells trial: ‘We are Hong Kong people’
During his national security trial, Jimmy Lai denied being Chinese and stated that Hongkongers have "nothing to do with" the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), leading to a brief debate over national identity in court. Lai, the former media boss of Apple Daily, is accused of seeking the collapse of the government in Beijing, a claim he denies.
Lai made the remarks during cross-examination, explaining that Hongkongers wished to "get rid of dictatorship." He argued that the CCP is separate from the Chinese people and that only Chinese people can remove the CCP. This prompted Justice Esther Toh to question Lai's self-identification, pointing out his physical appearance and apparent Chinese ethnicity.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
During his national security trial, Jimmy Lai denied being Chinese and stated that Hongkongers have "nothing to do with" the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), leading to a brief debate over national identity in court. Lai, the former media boss of Apple Daily, is accused of seeking the collapse of the government in Beijing, a claim he denies.
Lai made the remarks during cross-examination, explaining that Hongkongers wished to "get rid of dictatorship." He argued that the CCP is separate from the Chinese people and that only Chinese people can remove the CCP. This prompted Justice Esther Toh to question Lai's self-identification, pointing out his physical appearance and apparent Chinese ethnicity.
via SCMP Full Text Feed
