London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 30, 2025

Jimmy Lai: Arrested Hong Kong tycoon tells protesters to be 'careful'

Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai - the most high-profile person to be detained under a controversial new security law - has warned young protesters they need to be "more cautious" now.

Mr Lai was arrested on Monday, and his newspaper offices raided by hundreds of police, in scenes that shocked many.

Speaking after his release on bail, Mr Lai told the BBC he believed his arrest was "just the beginning".

There will be "a long fight" ahead for Hong Kong's freedoms, he added.

Mr Lai, who has been a prominent pro-democracy voice and a supporter of protests that erupted last year, owns Apple Daily, one of Hong Kong's most-read newspapers.

He and nine other activists were detained on Monday over allegations including collusion with foreign forces, under a national security law imposed by China in June.

The sweep of arrests has raised fears that China will use the new law to undertake a broad crackdown on Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists and media figures.

'More scary'


Speaking to Newshour on the BBC World Service, Mr Lai said he was surprised when he saw police arrive at his home on Monday morning.

While he had been arrested before, this was "more scary" because it came under the national security law imposed by China, he said.

Both his sons were also arrested on "bogus charges", he said, although he added that he had no regrets about his pro-democracy activism.

"When I was in custody I could not sleep... I was thinking, if I knew that was going to happen to me now, [with] even more hardship [on the way], would I have done the same thing?

"I would not have [done things] another way - this is my character," he added.

However, he warned protesters that they would now have to be "more cautious in our resistance to preserve our rule of law and freedom", as the sweeping new security law made the environment more dangerous for activists.

"We have to be more careful and creative in [our] resistance... we can't be as radical as before - especially young people - because the more radical [we are] the shorter lifespan we have in our fighting.

"We have to really use our brain and patience, because this is a long fight."

Mr Lai's arrest has been welcomed by Chinese state media, who have described him as a "riot supporter" and his publications as having been "instigating hatred, spreading rumours and smearing Hong Kong authorities and the mainland for years".

Who is Jimmy Lai?


The businessman is estimated to be worth more than $1bn (£766m).

Having made his initial fortune in the clothing industry, he later ventured into media and founded Apple Daily, which is frequently critical of Hong Kong and mainland Chinese leadership.

In 2019 the daily was the most-read paid newspaper in the territory, both in print and online, according to the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Mr Lai has also been an activist against Beijing's increasingly tight grip on Hong Kong. In 2019 he supported and participated in pro-democracy protests that lasted for months in the territory.

On Tuesday, the holding company of Apple Daily newspaper saw its stock rise fourfold, as Hong Kongers rallied behind the newspaper and bought stocks in the company following Mr Lai's arrest.

Who else was arrested?


Mr Lai's colleagues and two of his sons were among those arrested on Monday.

Separately, prominent youth activist Agnes Chow was arrested, as were Wilson Li, who works as a freelance journalist with UK-based ITV News, and activist Andy Li.

Ms Chow was released on bail late on Tuesday, and told reporters: "It's very obvious that the regime is using the national security law to suppress political dissidents."

What is the new security law?


Hong Kong has had a high degree of autonomy since it was returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, and its residents have had a far higher level of freedom of speech and media than people on the mainland.

But the new law's key provisions include that crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison.

It makes it easier to punish protesters, and reduces Hong Kong's autonomy.

The law also gives Beijing powers to shape life in the former British colony in a way it never has before.

Critics say it effectively curtails protest and freedom of speech. China has said the new law will return stability to the territory after a year of unrest.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK and Vietnam Sign Landmark Migration Deal to Fast-Track Returns of Irregular Arrivals
UK Drug-Pricing Overhaul Essential for Life-Sciences Ambition, Says GSK Chief
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Temporarily Leave the UK Amid Their Parents’ Royal Fallout
UK Weighs Early End to Oil and Gas Windfall Tax as Reeves Seeks Investment Commitments
UK Retail Inflation Slows as Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since Spring
Next Raises Full-Year Profit Guidance After Strong Third-Quarter Performance
Reform UK’s Lee Anderson Admits to 'Gaming' Benefits System While Advocating Crackdown
United States and South Korea Conclude Major Trade Accord Worth $350 Billion
Hurricane Melissa Strikes Cuba After Devastating Jamaica With Record Winds
Vice President Vance to Headline Turning Point USA Campus Event at Ole Miss
U.S. Targets Maritime Narco-Routes While Border Pressure to Mexico Remains Limited
Bill Gates at 70: “I Have a Real Fear of Artificial Intelligence – and Also Regret”
Elon Musk Unveils Grokipedia: An AI-Driven Alternative to Wikipedia
Saudi Arabia Unveils Vision for First-Ever "Sky Stadium" Suspended Over Desert Floor
Amazon Announces 14 000 Corporate Job Cuts as AI Investment Accelerates
UK Shop Prices Fall for First Time Since March, Food Leads the Decline
London Stock Exchange Group ADR (LNSTY) Earns Zacks Rank #1 Upgrade on Rising Earnings Outlook
Soap legend Tony Adams, long-time star of Crossroads, dies at 84
Rachel Reeves Signals Tax Increases Ahead of November Budget Amid £20-50 Billion Fiscal Gap
NatWest Past Gains of 314% Spotlight Opportunity — But Some Key Risks Remain
UK Launches ‘Golden Age’ of Nuclear with £38 Billion Sizewell C Approval
UK Announces £1.08 Billion Budget for Offshore Wind Auction to Boost 2030 Capacity
UK Seeks Steel Alliance with EU and US to Counter China’s Over-Capacity
UK Struggles to Balance China as Both Strategic Threat and Valued Trading Partner
Argentina’s Markets Surge as Milei’s Party Secures Major Win
British Journalist Sami Hamdi Detained by U.S. Authorities After Visa Revocation Amid Israel-Gaza Commentary
King Charles Unveils UK’s First LGBT+ Armed Forces Memorial at National Memorial Arboretum
At ninety-two and re-elected: Paul Biya secures eighth term in Cameroon amid unrest
Racist Incidents Against UK Nurses Surge by 55%
UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves Cites Shared Concerns With Trump Administration as Foundation for Early US-UK Trade Deal
Essentra plc: A Closer Look at a UK ‘Penny Stock’ Opportunity Amid Market Weakness
U.S. and China Near Deal to Avert Rare-Earth Export Controls Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit
Justin time: Justin Herbert Shields Madison Beer with Impressive Reflex at Lakers Game
Russia’s President Putin Declares Burevestnik Nuclear Cruise Missile Ready for Deployment
Giuffre’s Memoir Alleges Maxwell Claimed Sexual Act with Clooney
House Republicans Move to Strip NYC Mayoral Front-Runner Zohran Mamdani of U.S. Citizenship
Record-High Spoiled Ballots Signal Voter Discontent in Ireland’s 2025 Presidential Election
Philippines’ Taal Volcano Erupts Overnight with 2.4 km Ash Plume
Albania’s Virtual AI 'Minister' Diella Set to 'Birth' Eighty-Three Digital Assistants for MPs
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
×