Jimmy Lai: a name all lovers of democracy should be familiar with. If you aren’t aware of who this man is, permit me to introduce you to this fearless and peaceful freedom fighter.
Lai Chee-ying, or the westernized version Jimmy Lai, according to Hong Kong custom, was born in the Canton region of China (Guangzhou), back in 1948; Jimmy’s birth year and date are not exactly known, according to Jimmy himself, but he celebrated his birthday on December 8th, which just happens to be a Marian Catholic feast day honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Little Jimmy was not born into a Catholic family, hence this feast was not on the parents’ radar, so to speak. The Chinese Civil War was still raging at his birth, but once the CPP (Chinese Communist Party) took over the country, Jimmy and his siblings had to fend for themselves. Little is known about the parents; what is clear is that Jimmy struggled the best he could, from a very young age.
By the age of twelve, Jimmy was used to fending for himself. He stowed away on a boat and made it to Hong Kong. And this is when his destiny was shaped. He found work in a garment factory and, over the years, eventually worked his way up to a managerial position. It wasn’t long before he put his talents and entrepreneurial skills to work: he built an empire in the fashion industry, focusing on quality clothing that was affordable to the general public. His brand Giordano was a very lucrative business, present in over thirty countries worldwide. It would seem that Jimmy had the knack for making money; in other words, a financial wizard. The fortune he made with his clothing business was used to set up a media business. From his media conglomerate Next Digital, becoming Hong Kong’s largest media company, the release of a weekly publication, Next Magazine, in 1991, was the next step. Jimmy used his media empire to criticize the Chinese government, as well as blend investigative journalism, celebrity news & gossip, and political reporting, all in one. Needless to say, this was very popular with readers.
Jimmy had seen a real need for the Chinese people to have a voice, following the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. When he ascertained the success of Next Magazine, he wasted no time in founding his groundbreaking Apple Daily pro-democracy tabloid newspaper. This tabloid was openly taking a pro-democracy stance, fearlessly criticizing China and the Hong Kong government. This did not sit well with the Chinese authorities: Jimmy Lai was a threat to their power. At one point, Jimmy wrote about the sitting President of China: “Lai himself would write columns, famously calling China’s premier Li Peng, known as the Butcher of Beijing for his role in the massacre, “a bastard with zero IQ” in 1994, drawing political and financial retribution from the Chinese state.” He was most certainly drawing the animus of the authorities upon his head, but he did it anyway, in an effort to bring attention to the lack of democracy and freedom for his people.
One must understand that Jimmy was a billionaire: “Between his success in the fashion industry and the popularity of his media company, Lai’s story became one of rags to riches. In 2008, he was titled a “Forbes billionaire,” valued at an estimated $1.2 billion. Despite his wealth, the husband and father prioritized family, faith, and the principles of democracy and a free society.” He had become a British citizen circa 1996, before the 1997 transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to China. Jimmy was not obliged to remain in Hong Kong; he could have easily fled to Europe, or North America, without impediment. He could have chosen to live the high life, in relative peace and prosperity. Jimmy knew that the Chinese government was after him. He was continually being harassed and warned: “Throughout his adult life in Hong Kong he was often monitored, harassed and intimidated. The blowback from the Li Peng editorials ultimately led to Lai divesting from Giordano. His house and businesses were repeatedly firebombed, and his family followed by paparazzi. In 2008 he was the target of a foiled assassination plot.” Jimmy chose to stay and continue being a voice for democracy.
Jimmy Lai was arrested for the first time in August 2020, when his Apple Daily newspaper facility was raided, under a new so-called national security law established by the Chinese government. This law was meant to restrict free speech which was viewed as subversive and a threat to the CPP. Jimmy was released on bail, while he awaited his trial. This was his chance to flee the country, but he chose to remain. He was eventually put in prison, in solitary confinement, while awaiting the trial that everyone knows was a sham trial. No one was surprised at the ultimate guilty verdict which was announced at the end of 2025. We were not surprised but were still deeply saddened by the sheer injustice being perpetrated against this man.
Let us step back a bit, in order to understand Jimmy’s mindset. Long before his arrest, Jimmy had converted to Catholicism. Jimmy was baptized in 1997, by none other than Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, another fearless witness to the faith and to democracy, and Jimmy’s close friend. Cardinal Zen has stood by Jimmy’s side throughout the entire ordeal of Jimmy’s persecution. Two heroic men, facing their oppressors. What a friendship! As Mark Simon, another of Jimmy’s inside circle, explains: “I have always viewed Jimmy’s faith through Cardinal Zen, in that Lai and the cardinal are forged in the fires of the China of the 1940s and 1950s. And while Cardinal Zen is a lifelong Catholic, and Jimmy a convert, it is their faith that steels them against a communist system that rolls over others. They are two of the toughest men I have ever known, yet it is not a brashness or call for violence that emanates from either — it is faith. There is a pleasant rigidity to Jimmy, a certainty, not in being right all the time, but in following the path of the Lord he walks with his friend Cardinal Zen.
Indeed, Jimmy’s faith has always played an important role in his daily decisions, including the decision to stand his ground during the witch hunt that has put him behind bars. Mark Simon gives a thorough insight into this amazing man: “But there’s a better story in this inquisition: the story of Jimmy Lai. It’s one of bravery, hope and, above all else, faith….If you want to understand Jimmy Lai and his faith, then knowing this story will get you most of the way there. Since I have known him, he walks the walk. There is not a petty bone in the guy’s body — and charity in every action….An act of selflessness, an act of courage, is not just a reaction, but in rare cases can be an intellectual journey undertaken with as much logic and rational thought as emotion and love. It is the journey of the oppressed Christian who wakes each day knowing that his or her faith places one in harm’s way, yet who, with awareness and forethought, kneels and prays. It is the activist for democracy who knows his next protest may be his last. Jimmy Lai is both….I know Mr. Lai is willing to leave Hong Kong, but not at the price of refuting his beliefs.” What a witness, not only for democracy, but for one’s faith in God!
We are all praying that he will be released on humanitarian grounds; Jimmy is 78 years old and in bad health. Jimmy’s friends, children and wife, have tirelessly supported Jimmy throughout the entire ordeal, reaching out to heads of state and other supporters, working to free him, as soon as possible. As for Jimmy, according to his daughter Claire, who discussed her father’s faith and acceptance in an interview on The World Over, he calmly accepts God’s will in all of this, demonstrating once again his complete trust in God. He accepts the possibility of life imprisonment and does not want anyone to break the peace over this state of affairs. I recommend watching this interview, which also features his attorney, Jonathan Price and his friend and supporter, Father Robert Sirico, president of the Acton Institute.
I also highly recommend watching the documentary The Hong Konger : Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom , produced by the Acton Institute, which is free to everyone, on YouTube. It is the story of Jimmy Lai, which takes the viewer step-by-step, through the rise and persecution of this pro-democracy activist. A must-see film.
For a more in-depth recounting of his life, Mark L. Clifford’s book “The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire, Hong Kong’s Greatest Dissident, and China’s Most Feared Critic is a very good start to understand who Jimmy Lai is.
Finally, may Jimmy Lai continue to be sustained by his faith, his loved ones and his many supporters around the world who are praying for him, as he weathers this storm. May his friends and family keep strong in their own faith, as they witness the injustice being perpetrated against Jimmy. Like the Christian martyrs before him, Jimmy is a witness. May God shower Jimmy with the graces he needs to face the future. May our crucified lord, Jesus-Christ, accept Jimmy’s sacrifice, in union with his own passion, and eventually call him to Himself. Thanks be to God for the heroic martyrdom of Jimmy Lai, who is fighting for all of us.
With all my love and prayers.
Marie Brousseau, January 3rd, 2026, on the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus
(Below are Jimmy Lai’s drawings of the crucified Jesus):
***Author’s note:
Update: On February 9, 2026, Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in a Hong Kong prison.
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