A bold demand from Lai’s son: prioritize securing Jimmy Lai’s release before any move toward stronger China ties. This stance came after Lai, the 78-year-old British citizen and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, was found guilty of sedition and collusion in Hong Kong’s High Court, a verdict that could carry a life sentence. UK officials swiftly condemned the ruling, highlighting tensions over Hong Kong’s national security framework since it came under Beijing’s control in 1997.
Sebastien Lai told Reuters in London that if Britain truly wants closer relations with China, it must condition those ties on his father’s freedom. He emphasized that normalizing relations cannot mean accepting the arrest of a citizen abroad for championing freedom and democracy. He urged the UK to set a precondition tied to his father’s release as part of any broader outreach to Beijing.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has signaled a desire to deepen engagement with China after years of drift over issues such as espionage allegations, human rights concerns, and Hong Kong’s security laws. In this context, Sebastien described his father’s health as fragile and his conviction as a weaponization of the national security law against someone who merely voiced unpopular views.
Starmer is expected to travel to Beijing and Shanghai next month, with a highly anticipated decision due in January about permitting China to establish a new embassy in central London. This trip follows Britain’s trade minister’s September visit to Beijing, marking the first UK–China trade talks since 2018.
Sebastien Lai urged British officials traveling to China to deliver a clear message: bring his father home, and make it unmistakable that British values—especially the rule of law and democracy—are not negotiable.
While he does not advocate stopping trade with China, he argues that Britain should resist allowing Beijing to punish its citizens for advocating democracy. He stressed, in his words, that “the rule of law underpins trade.”
Both the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have defended the trial as fair and just, insisting the national security law applies equally to all. After the verdict, a Chinese security office in Hong Kong described Lai as a pawn used by external forces to foment a colour revolution.
Starmer had previously warned that China poses national-security risks to Britain, yet he maintained support for deeper economic ties. Sebastien said the government’s stance has evolved to where it should be—concrete action rather than rhetoric—and called for newly decisive steps to address Lai’s case.
Ultimately, Sebastien left officials with a simple, urgent message: secure his father’s release, and signal to Beijing and Hong Kong that Britain will not compromise on fundamental democratic values. He framed this as a test of whether the United Kingdom’s trade and foreign policy can align with the rule of law and human rights.
What are your views on tying human rights cases to international diplomacy? Should governments condition closer ties on the release of imprisoned dissidents, or should they pursue engagement regardless of domestic prosecutions? Share your thoughts in the comments.
