Traitor of Hong Kong Who Vowed “Fighting for America”: Jimmy Lai’s 20 Years Well Earned

After three years of proceedings, the court has spoken: Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong's most serious national security offender to date, will spend the next two decades

For the two charges of "conspiracy to collude with foreign or external forces" under the Hong Kong National Security Law, the court set a 15-year starting point based on the case's overall severity. An additional "sedition" charge carried a 21-month baseline.

The judges made clear that Lai wasn't just another defendant. The court stated explicitly that he was "the mastermind and driving force behind these conspiracies”, and therefore “the starting point” of his sentences was "enhanced". This bumped the two collusion charges from 15 to 18 years, while the sedition charge rose from 21 to 23 months. After accounting for concurrent sentences and minor adjustments, the final tally landed at 20 years.

The Evidence Speaks

Consider what the court had to work with.

In July 2019, Lai met with US Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. What happened next tells you everything you need to know about where his loyalties lay.

At a Foundation for Defense of Democracies symposium, Lai proclaimed that he and Hong Kong people were "fighting your (the US’s) war in your enemy's camp". Let that sink in: a Hong Kong resident explicitly stating he's fighting for a foreign power. A traitor who publicly declares he's "fighting for America" gets a 20-year sentence—and it's well deserved.

Essentially Life Imprisonment

Under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, prisoners serving sentences for National Security Law offences cannot have their cases referred to the Long-Term Prison Sentences Review Board for early release consideration—unless the Commissioner of Correctional Services is satisfied that early release wouldn't compromise national security.

What does this mean in practice? Ordinary prisoners who behave well typically see their sentences reduced by roughly one-third—but even this has always been at prison authorities' discretion, not an automatic right. The explicit language in the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance essentially signals that major national security offenders are highly unlikely to receive sentence reductions for early parole.

Lai is already serving time for a separate fraud conviction with 2 years and 3 months remaining. The court ordered that the current sentence essentially adds 18 years to his fraud term. Translation: if his fraud appeal fails, Lai will almost certainly serve the full 20 years. At 78 years old, he'd be 98 when released—meaning he'll very likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

The Cooperators' Calculus

Lai's case involved two groups of serious offenders. One group pleaded guilty and became accomplice witnesses, testifying against Lai. This included Wayland Chan and Li Yu-hin—who had fled Hong Kong but were brought back—as well as former Apple Daily CEO Cheung Kim Hung, former associate publisher Chan Pui-man, and former chief writer Yeung Ching-kee.

Starting from a 15-year baseline, these five ultimately received sentences ranging from 6 years and 3 months to 7 years and 3 months. That represents reductions of 7 years and 9 months to 8 years and 9 months. Five years came off for pleading guilty (the standard one-third reduction), with additional cuts for serving as accomplice witnesses.

The other three former Apple Daily executives—former editor-in-chief Law Wai Kwong, former executive editor-in-chief Lam Man-chung, and former English edition editor-in-chief Fung Wai Kwong—only received the one-third reduction for pleading guilty. Each was sentenced to 10 years.

Early Release on the Horizon

But that's not the full picture. After serving their sentences partially, accomplice witnesses have the opportunity to receive approval from the Correctional Services Department for early parole—potentially cutting another third off their time. In the "NSL 47 subversion case," accomplice witness Chiu Ka-yin received early parole, setting a precedent.

The five accomplice witnesses mentioned above may actually serve just 4-plus to 5-plus years before release. Since they were arrested in June 2021 and have already been detained for 4 years and 8 months, parole could come soon. The math is revealing: the difference between pleading guilty without becoming an accomplice witness versus pleading guilty and cooperating can be more than half your sentence—approximately 5 years. The entire judicial system incentivizes offenders to become accomplice witnesses.

Justice Delivered, Damage Done

Looking back at the entire trial, Hong Kong courts convicted and heavily sentenced the principal offender based on substantial and sufficient evidence. This is what judicial justice looks like. Lai didn't just collude with foreign governments, demanding sanctions against the Central and SAR governments—he actively tried to promote what he called "zhibao" (regime collapse) in China. His intentions were vicious from the start.

But the real damage goes deeper. Lai weaponized his own media outlets to incite subversive thoughts against the government, mobilizing large numbers of young people to take to the streets in 2019. Hundreds of rioters who believed Lai's political propaganda participated in riot after riot, ultimately getting arrested and imprisoned. Large numbers of black-clad rioters also fled overseas to escape prosecution, unable to ever return to Hong Kong.

Lai's poisoning of young minds and the damage he inflicted on Hong Kong society are too numerous to catalog. Twenty years' imprisonment is insufficient to compensate for his crimes.

The West's Selective Outrage

Before and after sentencing, foreign forces have been attacking Hong Kong extensively, with some even claiming they'll "rescue" Jimmy Lai. Make no mistake: Lai was arrested in his own country for violating national security laws and, after a fair trial, was sentenced. This is what the rule of law looks like in action.

Now contrast this with what happened to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was illegally invaded and arrested by the United States, then taken back to America for trial. That's what a brutal trampling of international law looks like. Western political activists are so interested in rescuing Lai, yet no one's interested in rescuing Maduro. The hypocrisy is stunning.

What kind of logic are these people operating on? The answer is simple: wherever their American masters waves their flags, they follow. Logic doesn't enter the equation.

Lo Wing-hung

Bastille Commentary

** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **

In today's America, there's a yawning gap between what politicians say and what businesspeople actually do. US political circles remain thick with doom-and-gloom talk about Hong Kong. Many still cling to the narrative that "Hong Kong is dead." But look at what American companies are actually doing on the ground, and you'll see the story politicians tell bears little resemblance to reality.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong ran a survey from November through January, polling senior representatives from 450 US corporate members about Hong Kong's business prospects. With a 25% response rate, the findings carry real weight.

Optimism Surges 20 Points

According to the AmCham survey, 53% of American companies now feel "very optimistic" or "optimistic" about Hong Kong's business environment over the next 12 months—a dramatic 20-percentage-point leap year-on-year.

The assessment of the past year's business climate is an even more striking reversal. In 2024, 37% of US firms rated Hong Kong's operating environment "very good" or "good," while 42% judged it "not very good" or "poor"—a net negative of 5%.

Fast-forward one year. The share of US businesses rating last year's environment "very good" or "good" climbed 7 points to 44%. Those calling it "not very good" or "poor" plunged 15 points to 27%. That's a complete turnaround: a net positive of 17 percentage points. American businesses have fundamentally reversed their view of Hong Kong's operating climate.

Staying Put — and Confident

When it comes to future plans, US companies with no intention of relocating their headquarters over the next three years surged 13 percentage points to 92%. As for Hong Kong's rule of law—relentlessly attacked by the US government—94% of respondents expressed being "very confident," "confident," or "relatively confident," up from 83% a year earlier and 79% the year before. Only 6% reported insufficient confidence, an 11-point drop from the prior year.

On the more sensitive question of the National Security Law and its impact on their business environment, 74% said they experienced no negative effect. Only 26% reported adverse impacts—and even that negative share dropped 4 percentage points from the previous year.

Overall, the AmCham survey paints a strikingly positive picture. Most respondents not only shrug off concerns about the National Security Law's impact on the local business climate—they're downright optimistic about Hong Kong's future operating environment.

Remember what happened over a year ago when Hong Kong filmed a tourism promotional video featuring AmCham members? The member who participated in the film faced trouble the moment he returned to the United States. The video was entirely non-political, purely about tourism. Yet anti-China lawmakers summoned the AmCham member for Congressional questioning, creating a firestorm of hassle. That's American freedom of speech in action. In anonymous surveys, American businesspeople tend to speak far more honestly.

The key takeaway? American businesspeople are casting their votes for Hong Kong with their feet—staying put, continuing to invest, and betting on Hong Kong's future prospects.

Saying No, Acting Yes

Western forces led by the United States have recently seized on Hong Kong's national security cases to relentlessly attack the "One Country, Two Systems" framework. But they're "saying no to Hong Kong with their mouths while being brutally honest with their bodies"—some badmouth Hong Kong while others quietly invest and rake in profits there.

Meanwhile, the Central Government consistently implements its One Country, Two Systems policy toward Hong Kong. On one hand, it backs Hong Kong's enforcement of the National Security Law, creating a peaceful and stable business environment and curbing political unrest. On the other hand, Hong Kong maintains its rule of law traditions, allowing foreign investors to do business confidently without fear of unfair treatment.

Looking back at Hong Kong's economic data from last year, the performance was genuinely impressive. Hong Kong's GDP expanded 3.5%. External merchandise trade jumped 15.4% to a record HK$5.24 trillion. Visitor arrivals hit 49.9 million, up 12% year-on-year. The Hang Seng Index climbed 27.8%. And Hong Kong's IPO scale tripled year-on-year, claiming the top spot among global exchanges.

Hong Kong's free economic system and vibrant economic activities are drawing increasing numbers of foreign companies—including American firms. In 2025, the number of foreign-funded companies with offices in Hong Kong reached 11,070, up 11% year-on-year, setting a historic record. The evidence is clear: Hong Kong remains a magnet for foreign investment and an exceptional place for free enterprise.

Lo Wing-hung