Jimmy Lai troubles a warning for TaiwanBy Steve Ho 何不孝The Hong Kong government applied to the court to confiscate assets belonging to Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai (黎智英), and a hearing has been scheduled for July 8. Beijing promised Hong Kong a “high degree of autonomy,” claiming that things would remain unchanged for 50 years. It is not that Hong Kong lacked institutional commitments or legal provisions, but that those assurances ultimately could not withstand the redefinition of power. In viewing Lai’s case, Taiwan must not stop at sympathy alone, but must fully grasp the institutional warning it conveys. Only by upholding these things can Taiwan ensure that Hong Kong’s present does not become its own future.

Source: Taipei Times April 12, 2026 16:16 UTC