The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday morning sentenced Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, to 20 years in prison.
Lai was found guilty in December by the High Court of the HKSAR on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. Mitigation hearing for Lai's case began on January 12 and concluded on January 13.
The defendants in the national security case include Lai, Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and Apple Daily Internet Limited, all facing charges of conspiracy to publish seditious materials and conspiracy to collude with external forces. Lai was also facing a separate charge of conspiring to collude with external forces.
The trial officially commenced on December 18, 2023, and has been presided over by three judges appointed under the national security law in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Police Force presented evidence to back the charges against Lai, and the judicial proceedings of the case involved the examination of over 2,200 exhibits.
The large amount of evidence at the trial proved Lai was a plotter and major participant in the anti-China riots that culminated in the summer of 2019 in Hong Kong.
He was also a major financial backer and conspirator behind the illegal "Occupy Central" movement in 2014. Five years later, Lai directly participated in plotting and organizing riots, inciting violence.
He has also colluded with other senior executives of Apply Daily to publish seditious articles, and launched the "One Hongkonger, One Letter to Save Hong Kong" campaign.
In addition, Lai gave interviews with foreign politicians and held activities where he openly demanded that the United States, Britain and EU countries sanction China, including the HKSAR.
Anti-China riots instigator Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison
The promotional video of China Media Group (CMG)'s 2026 Spring Festival Gala was screened at the annual Chinese New Year gala held by the Chinese Students and Scholars Association UK (CSSAUK) in London on Thursday evening.
Chinese ambassador to Britain Zheng Zeguang attended the event and sent warm greetings to the Chinese students and scholars in the country.
Addressing the event, Zheng encouraged the students to pursue their studies to serve China, striving to contribute to the Chinese modernization, promote Chinese culture, and advance China-Britain friendship.
The Spring Festival Gala promotional video captivated the attention of the guests at the event with its compelling performance, vividly displaying the cultural essence of the Chinese New Year and the vitality of China.
Many attendees said that the video offered an opportunity for them to gain a deeper understanding of the cultural heritage and festive atmosphere embodied by the Spring Festival.
"I know that it [the Spring Festival] has to do with preparing lots of food and going to see family and friends. And it goes on for about two weeks, people traveling all over and because they really do want to go home and see their family and friends," said Ronald Anderson, Emeritus Professor of Finance at London School of Economics and Political Science.
"It's incredible. [With] the fact that you can see so many of the different ethnicities and they've all prepared their own little parts with such complexity, I was truly in awe," said Lucy, student at University College London.
The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important traditional holiday for the Chinese people, and watching the Spring Festival Gala on television is a cherished part of the celebrations in hundreds of millions of Chinese homes.
This year's Spring Festival Gala will be broadcast live around the world on the Chinese New Year's Eve on February 16.
CMG Spring Festival gala promo screened in UK
