US bill aims to rename street of Hong Kong trade office ‘Jimmy Lai Way,’ as city condemns ‘malicious interference’

A US bill has been introduced to rename part of the street in front of Hong Kong’s representative office in Washington DC “Jimmy Lai Way.”

The move aims to honour the 76-year-old media tycoon currently facing a national security trial in Hong Kong, though the city’s government urged the US not to “interfere” in its affairs when approached by HKFP for a response on Monday.

The HKETO in Washington DC, USA. File photo: Googlemaps.

According to a press release from Republican congressman Chris Smith last Thursday, the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office would be forced to state its address as “1 Jimmy Lai Way” in reference to “the renowned Hong Kong human rights defender who remains unjustly imprisoned by Hong Kong authorities.”

“Jimmy Lai is a man of faith and conviction, someone who fervently believed that Hong Kong’s prosperity and vitality were built on the rights promised to its citizens,” said Smith, who is also chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. “[The HKETO’s] new address will symbolize that this champion of freedom stands against their growing authoritarianism and human rights abuses.”

Gov’t slams ‘interference’

Lai, founder of Hong Kong’s defunct Apple Daily newspaper and a high-profile supporter of the city’s pro-democracy movement, has been accused of violating the Beijing-imposed national security law. If convicted, he faces life behind bars.

HKETO HKTDC US Lobbying — The HKETO holds frequent business events in the US. Photo: HEKTO Washington DC via Flickr.

On Monday, a Hong Kong government spokesperson said no-one should comment on ongoing cases, as it urged the US to “respect the basic norms governing international relations and stop maliciously interfering in the affairs of the HKSAR.”

They added that no-one is above the law, nor immune from legal sanctions under the rule of law: “The HKSAR Government must emphasise that all cases are handled strictly on the basis of evidence and in accordance with the law. All defendants will receive fair trial strictly in accordance with laws applicable to Hong Kong (including the Hong Kong National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance) and as protected by the Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights.”

Lai is facing two counts of taking part in a “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” under the security legislation, and also for conspiring to publish “seditious” materials under a colonial-era law. The self-made millionaire’s media outlet, which was forced to close in June 2021 after senior staff were arrested, faces the same charges. Apple Daily’s newsroom was raided twice, and its assets were frozen.

Usa us flag china chinese hong kong — The US, Chinese flag and Hong Kong flag. File photo: Tom Grundy/HKFP.

When Lai’s trial began on December 18, 2023, he had already spent more than 1,000 days in custody after having had his bail revoked in December 2020. Three judges – handpicked by Hong Kong’s chief executive to hear national security cases – are presiding over Lai’s trial in the place of a jury, marking a departure from the city’s common law traditions.

A US bill that would close Hong Kong’s representative offices entirely in Washington DC, New York and San Francisco – on the grounds that the city no longer has a high degree of autonomy from China – was passed by the congressional House Foreign Affairs Committee last November. A Hong Kong government spokesperson said that the act was “factually wrong,” and amounted to “gross interference” at the time.

EU parliament motion

Also last Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution denouncing Hong Kong authorities’ “obstructions to trial monitoring” after a Reporters Without Borders representative was denied entry to city to witness the Lai trial.

Aleksandra Bielakowska was detained, searched, and questioned for six hours at the international airport before being deported.

Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.