China Seminar ft. Mark L. Clifford

"The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong's Greatest Dissident, and China's Most Feared Critic"

Speaker's summary:
Jimmy Lai, one of Hong Kong's most prominent political prisoners, rose from poverty to become a self-made billionaire and an advocate for Hong Kong’s democracy. After escaping China as a boy, he built a fashion empire before founding Apple Daily and Next magazine—media that fearlessly criticized the Chinese Communist Party. A British citizen, he chose to stay in Hong Kong and fight for freedom, joining mass demonstrations and engaging world leaders. In 2020, after Hong Kong’s national security law was imposed, he was arrested. Since then, he has spent over 1,500 days behind bars—most in solitary confinement as a political prisoner—and now faces a potential life sentence. Join us, as Mark Clifford discusses Lai’s extraordinary journey and his new book, The Troublemaker.

Speaker's Bio:
Mark L. Clifford is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, an NGO dedicated to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law for the people of Hong Kong. Previously, he was executive director of the Hong Kong–based Asia Business Council, and a board director at Next Digital, the Hong Kong media giant founded and majority-owned by Jimmy Lai. During his twenty-eight years in Hong Kong, he served as editor-in-chief of both English-language newspapers, the South China Morning Post and The Standard, of which he was also publisher. He holds a PhD in Hong Kong history from the University of Hong Kong. Clifford has won numerous journalism, academic, and book awards, and is the author of Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World: What China’s Crackdown Reveals About Its Plans to End Freedom Everywhere.
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The views expressed are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect East-West Center policies or positions.

Видео China Seminar ft. Mark L. Clifford канала East-West Center