18th January 2025 – (Hong Kong) Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Digital and a prominent figure in Hong Kong’s media landscape, continues to face serious charges under the National Security Law. On the 120th day of his trial, Lai acknowledged that he paid approximately HK$25 million over two years to facilitate visits by former U.S. military officials, including General Jack Keane and former Deputy Secretary of Defence Paul Wolfowitz, to meet with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen.
During cross-examination, Lai confirmed that he organised the visits in 2017 but claimed he was unaware of the specifics of the discussions held between the officials and Tsai. Prosecutors presented evidence suggesting that Lai had entered into an agreement with the two men, which included a year-long consultancy fee of about US$1.5 million (approximately HK$11.67 million), totalling over HK$23 million for the two-year period. Additionally, a payment of US$250,000 (around HK$1.94 million) was made to Keane, initially described as a gift but later clarified as a loan intended for debt repayment.
Lai’s defence has highlighted the lack of a formal written contract for these arrangements, stating that payments were managed by his assistant, Mark Simon, without set limits. The court also examined the financial ties to Antonio Chang, a political commentator and former deputy secretary-general of the National Security Council, who received payments from Lai’s media outlet during Tsai’s presidency, despite not contributing any articles.
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