A political party's decline begins the moment it abandons common sense.
Britain's ruling Labour Party is moving to repair ties with China, with party leader Keir Starmer planning a visit to Beijing. But one persistent thorn in Sino-British relations remains: London's foot-dragging on approving China's proposed grand new embassy. China bought the old Royal Mint site and wants to build there, but anti-China forces have mobilized against it on all sorts of political grounds.
On January 17, opponents staged another big protest in London. The rally was basically a jamboree of "all five poisons"—not just the usual exiled Hong Kong independence activists, but Tibetan and Xinjiang independence flags flying everywhere. Naturally, no Labour MPs showed up. But Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch did—making her the highest-ranking political figure to grace such an opposition event.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch, who is of Nigerian descent
Missing the Bigger Picture
Hong Kong exiles in Britain seized on this for maximum propaganda value, crowing that even the Conservative Party leader came out to support them. I see it differently—as a sign of the Conservatives' decline. What politician with any real shot at becoming Britain's next Prime Minister would wade into such murky waters?
First, there are degrees to being anti-China. How does a rally opposing an embassy construction turn into a carnival featuring "all five poisons"? Having opinions about a country versus supporting independence movements within that country—these are two completely different things. For a major political figure to attend a rally plastered with propaganda for other countries' independence movements is itself highly inappropriate. Does this mean the Conservative Party backs Hong Kong independence and Tibetan independence? Don't talk to me about freedom of speech—politicians have the freedom not to attend extremist political rallies. If Chinese politicians showed up at rallies flying Northern Irish independence flags, how would the British government react?
Second, the Conservative Party lacks the presence of a governing party. According to old assumptions, we might think that with Labour's current abysmal approval ratings, the Conservatives would naturally take power next term—so they should act prudently and avoid extreme positions. But reality tells a different story. The Conservative Party has already declined to third-rate status. If Labour loses power next term, I'm afraid the Conservatives won't have a chance at governing either.
The Reform Party Surge
The ruling Labour Party's recent popularity has tanked, running neck and neck with the Conservatives. According to a poll published in January by British think tank More in Common, Conservative support stands at 21%, while Labour sits at 20%—the two parties evenly matched. But the far-right Reform Party enjoys 31% support, far ahead of both the Conservatives and Labour. If a general election were held, the Reform Party would achieve a sweeping victory. So no matter how you look at it, Badenoch doesn't have the bearing of a Prime Minister—she seems more like a radical white-left politician.
Third, major party politics must follow common sense. Many Western politicians now chase politically correct lines, doing whatever they think voters like—but these politically correct actions often violate basic common sense. For example, believing voters are anti-China, they specifically do anti-China things, but whether being anti-China actually benefits their own country is something they couldn't care less about.
Canada's 180-Degree Turn
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently visited China, comprehensively improving relations with Beijing. Just last year, Canada claimed "China is the greatest security threat facing Canada," but now Canada has turned 180 degrees, believing that compared to the United States, "China is a more predictable and reliable partner." Canada slashed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports from 100% to 6.1%. China also relaxed restrictions on imports of Canadian canola and other agricultural products. Canada now strongly welcomes Chinese investment in electric vehicles and clean energy sectors—China-Canada economic and trade relations have rapidly risen to a very close level.
The premise for this change is naturally Canada facing deep pressure from the United States. Trump has threatened to make Canada the 51st state. Under this pressure, Canada seeks to improve relations with China to rescue its economy. After Prime Minister Carney's visit to China, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are also queuing up to visit Beijing—all seeking to improve relations with China. In today's chaotic world, with Trump specifically bullying allies, improving relations with China has become the best way out for these Western countries. Western politicians only need sufficient common sense to find the answer in improving relations with China.
No Leadership Presence
Conservative Party leader Badenoch's attendance at an anti-China rally can only mean one thing: no matter how you look at it, she doesn't have the bearing to be British Prime Minister, nor the energy to lead Britain out of its predicament. By the way, the Conservative Party's election of an ethnic African leader is not "conservative" at all—it's actually quite radical. No wonder more conservative Britons have turned to support the far-right Reform Party.
Lo Wing-hung
Bastille Commentary
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
As the saying goes: walk by the river long enough, and your shoes will get wet. For Jimmy Lai, the shoes got soaked—and then he fell in.
When Western media still call Jimmy Lai a "media guy," it borders on absurd. From every encounter with the man, one thing is clear: he's no media visionary. He's a tacky tycoon with a gambler's instinct, staking everything on one bet after another—until the house finally won.
All-In Every Time
Jimmy Lai smuggled himself into Hong Kong and clawed his way up from nothing. His personality? Pure gambling instinct. He treated business like a casino floor, shoving every chip to the center of the table—win big or go bust. And for a while, luck smiled at him. From Comitex Knitters to Giordano fashion, his bets paid off. In 1990, he cashed out his Giordano shares and plunged into the media world, launching Next Magazine.
Calling it "all-in" is no exaggeration. When Next Magazine launched, his editorial team ballooned to 200 people. For a weekly. Most daily newspapers ran leaner operations—Hong Kong Economic Journal had 20-plus staff, Ming Pao just over 50, and even mass-market dailies topped out at 100 to 200. Lai went nuclear, poaching talent with 30 to 50 percent salary bumps, determined to crush the competition through sheer force.
The first year or two, book sales soared but advertising lagged. At one point, Lai couldn't even cover the printing bills. He borrowed everywhere just to survive. But once Next Magazine found its footing, he doubled down. In 1995 came his second big gamble: Apple Daily. He torched cash, slashing the newspaper price from HK$5 to HK$2, ripping open market share.
Victory Depends on the Opponent
When Apple Daily gained traction, Lai wanted more. In 1999, he launched "Apple Promotions," storming into the online shopping market. According to Lai's senior finance executives, he asked about first-month losses and complained they were too small. He thought losing less than HK$50 million a month lacked impact, so management cranked up the burn rate. Later, as losses mounted, Lai stopped asking. When "Apple Promotions" hemorrhaged over HK$1 billion after a year, he finally threw in the towel.
A pattern emerges: Lai only knows one strategy—the big-spending blitz. But victory or defeat hinges entirely on the opponent. If the other side has weaker finances or won't match his high-stakes gambling, he grabs territory. But "Apple Promotions" ran into PARKnSHOP, owned by Li Ka-shing's empire. That was a different ballgame altogether.
Li Ka-shing himself set up his war room right in his own office, constantly tracking price comparisons between PARKnSHOP and "Apple Promotions" for every product. When Lai's "Apple Promotions" sold coke at HK$2 per can, PARKnSHOP sold it for HK$1—they would fight until Lai died. When the opponent is strong enough and willing to brawl, Lai is no magic.
Betting Against Beijing
Later, as Lai's media business ballooned, he started meddling in Hong Kong politics—another massive gamble. But this time, his opponent was the Chinese Communist Party. When he went "all in" against Beijing, the outcome was sealed from the start.
When people still call Jimmy Lai a "media guy" or a "pro-democracy figure," it's pure self-deception. The truth is, he's just a businessman. On the eve of the 1997 handover, I once had tea with Apple's political editor. We discussed the philosophy behind Jimmy Lai's newspaper. That editor directly quoted what Jimmy Lai told her: To run a newspaper, you need people to read it and buy it. After the handover, there will be fewer anti-communist media in Hong Kong, creating market space. So we need to make an anti-communist newspaper—that will definitely make big money.
She also quoted Lai's golden line: If one day Hong Kong people embrace the Communist Party, his newspaper can immediately become pro-communist. That editor lamented at the time that her boss was so ruthlessly pragmatic—everything driven by profit, nothing else.
Buying Influence, Losing Everything
After profit comes the hunger for fame—to have both money and status. Once Lai's media operations succeeded, his ambitions swelled. He wanted to play politics and control everything. It's the classic trajectory of a tacky rich man. Lai's essence is no different from Trump's—everything must be his call. So he set out to become a pan-democratic boss, orchestrating Hong Kong's affairs.
He identified the most influential figures in the pan-democratic camp and cozied up to them: Martin Lee, Cardinal Joseph Zen, Anson Chan, former second-in-command in the Government. Martin Lee had his own wealth, but Lai provided money to Joseph Zen and Anson Chan—and they accepted. According to leaked emails in 2014, Joseph Zen received loads of money from Jimmy Lai. Later, when Zen was interviewed, he admitted receiving a cumulative HK$20 million from Jimmy Lai, which was used up quite quickly, mainly to help him do what he wanted as bishop. Pan-democrats later spread word that Zen used the money to help underground churches in the Chinese Mainland. But, such a large sum, without supervision or control, no one knew where it went.
The leaked emails revealed a long list of pan-democratic political elites who received payments. You can only say those people took money and worked for it—an equal exchange. They can't complain when something happens.
The River Swallowed Him Whole
In Jimmy Lai's eyes, spending some money to become a pan-democratic boss was a bargain. Not only could he satisfy his vanity, but he could also disrupt Hong Kong's situation and serve his Western masters behind the scenes.
Looking back at Jimmy Lai's life now, we see no ideals and no morals—only power and profit. He walked by the river for most of his life. His shoes got wet, and eventually, he fell into the water himself. If, after watching Jimmy Lai's entire trial and seeing the truth of his collusion with foreign forces, people still choose to support him, these people are truly beyond foolish.
Lo Wing-hung
