Hong Kong’s Apple Daily published articles in ‘grey area’ of law to promote sanctions, former top aide of Jimmy Lai tells court

Former editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee describes approach taken as ‘playing with the edge’
Witness says Jimmy Lai was a ‘generous but cruel’ boss who was happy to distribute his wealth to employees but would ‘burn his people out’

Jimmy Lai trial

Brian Wong

Published: 8:34pm, 7 Mar 2024

Why you can trust SCMP

Hong Kong’s Apple Daily tabloid promoted international sanctions against mainland Chinese and city officials through its purported analyses of the national security law, a former top aide of media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying told the court.

Former editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee on Thursday said the tycoon’s now-defunct newspaper published a series of commentaries claiming to examine the impact and consequences of penalties imposed by the United States shortly after the Beijing-decreed legislation came into force in June 2020.

He described the editorial approach as “playing with the edge” – a term borrowed from table tennis – by reporting in a “grey area” deemed to be just within the ambit of the law or which authorities might find barely acceptable.

Jimmy Lai axed pro-Hong Kong government views after he became ‘radical’: witness

“[We] no longer openly called for sanctions through my writings or selection of forum page [articles], but by commenting on sanctions and analysing a punitive measure or its seriousness, [we could] express [our] original stance of supporting sanctions,” the defendant turned prosecution witness told West Kowloon Court.

Yeung was asked to explain Apple Daily’s stance on foreign sanctions and its selection of contributors as the high-profile trial entered its 40th day.

Lai, 76, is being tried on two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.

Ivan Cheung Cheuk-kan, for the prosecution, highlighted a special edition of the tabloid’s forum section in July 2020, titled “Hong Kong on the International Chessboard”, which featured three commentaries about the Hong Kong Autonomy Act signed by then US president Donald Trump.

Yeung said the three purported analytical pieces in fact demonstrated the authors’ support for the United States’ initiative.

Hong Kong’s Lai turned ‘radical’ after US-China trade war in 2018, court hears

Mr Justice Alex Lee Wan-tang, one of three judges presiding over the hearing, suggested Apple Daily was wandering in the twilight zone. The witness agreed.

Cheung also referred to an allegedly offensive article published the same month by a US-based Chinese commentator, only known by his pen name Yi Jian Piao Chen, which purported to examine the likelihood of sanctions on then Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor by the Trump administration.

Yeung said the critique was an example of “playing with the edge” as the author implicitly expressed his support for the then president’s move.

He said another example was an article written in August 2020 by late political pundit Lee Yee, who took an ironic view on officials who claimed to have no fear of US sanctions.

The article, titled “Nightwalker Whistles in the Dark”, was published on Apple Daily’s website and featured a picture of former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, who was seen smiling with his face partly darkened by a shadow, alongside a quote from Lee.

Cheung took issue with the webpage’s design but did not explain why his side found it offensive.

Yeung said Lai also recommended the newspaper engage veteran journalist Allan Au Ka-lun due to his eloquent writing style and critical views on the national security law.

Au subsequently became a columnist and provided at least four allegedly seditious articles to the tabloid between July 2020 and May the following year, prosecutors said.

Jimmy Lai, at Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, was a “generous but cruel” boss, a witness says. Photo: Winson Wong

The witness also recalled then editor-in-chief Ryan Law Wai-kwong asking him to run articles by wanted political activists Samuel Chu and Nathan Law Kwun-chung, but only work by the latter was published.

Asked to explain Lai’s approach at Apple Daily, Yeung described the tycoon as a “generous but cruel” boss who was happy to distribute his wealth to his employees, but would “burn his people out” and not hesitate to fire those not up to their jobs.

He likened Lai’s employment strategy to “shaking the tree”.

“Be it the management or mid-level supervisors, if they wanted to stay at Apple, they had to listen to their boss and do their work in a proactive manner,” the ex-editorial writer said, adding Lai had no official position in the newsroom.

“I wanted to stay at Apple, so I had to follow his instructions.”

The trial continues on Friday.

Post