Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai (2nd left) arrives at the Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong on Dec 31, 2020. (PARKER ZHENG / CHINA DAILY)

Apple Daily editorial policies became more radical after its founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s meetings with high-ranking officials in the White House in July 2019.

They included former US vice-president Mike Pence and the then secretary of state Mike Pompeo and the then US national security adviser John Bolton.

Under Lai's instructions, Apple Daily published an interview with the fugitive bookstore owner Lam Wing-kee on the eve of the protest, calling on Hong Kong people not to stand idly by but to actively resist the authorities of Hong Kong and Chinese mainland 

As Lai’s national security and sedition trial continued to unfold in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts, one of Lai’s former aides – former publisher of the now-defunct tabloid Cheung Kim-hung — revealed that Lai was in high spirits after the meetings in July 2019.

READ MORE: Jimmy Lai told Apple Daily editors to seek foreign support

Cheung, the first accomplice-turned-prosecution-witness, continued his testimony on the third day.

The court heard that Lai was of the opinion that the meetings would have a positive impact on the anti-extradition law movement and had requested Cheung to “make it big” about US’ support of the movement. 

Cheung recalled that everyone was a bit “high” when they found out that Lai was able to meet with officials from the White House and had briefed them about Hong Kong. After Lai returned from the US, he had talked about the possibility of sanctions on Chinese and the special administrative region’s officials more often, attempting to preempt the authorities, Cheung said.  

He added that the tabloid, in its coverage of the protests, would concentrate on violent and radical scenes and express sympathy for the protesters, in order to blame it on the Chinese and local authorities. 

The court also heard that Lai had even planned interviews by himself to incite more residents to participate in the 2019 anti-extradition protests. In the meantime, the tabloid also bankrolled the medical and litigation costs of the protesters using its subscription fee. 

Cheung said that Lai personally planned two reports to incite residents to join the protest held on April 28, 2019, by a subversive group, the Civil Human Rights Front. 

Under Lai's instructions, Apple Daily published an interview with the fugitive bookstore owner Lam Wing-kee on the eve of the protest, calling on Hong Kong people not to stand idly by but to actively resist the authorities of Hong Kong and Chinese mainland, Cheung said. 

Dissatisfied with the response to the protest, Lai personally lined up an interview with ex-colonial governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten, Cheung said, adding that Lai entrusted Benedict Rogers, the founder of UK-based anti-China propaganda outfit “Hong Kong Watch” to conduct the interview with Patten. In his text message to Rogers, Lai expressed his intention to push more people to join the anti-fugitive law demonstration on April 28.

Patten’s interview was published on April 28.

In April 2011, Cheung became the editor-in-chief of Apple Daily and was promoted to director in 2016. The newspaper was founded in 1995 and announced its closure in June 2021 

Cheung also admitted that at his suggestion, in June 2019 Lai agreed to donate one-third of Apple Daily’s online subscription fee from readers to support the protests, especially for the medical and litigation costs of the protesters. The money would be dispensed through a fund created by the Civil Human Rights Front (CHRF).

The online version of Apple Daily waived the subscription fee — HK$3 per day ($0.4) — for readers from April 2019 and started charging a three-month fee around July at Lai’s request, Cheung said. The subscription fee decreased to HK$1.68 per day by September. 

Cheung mentioned that as of 2 am on April 5, the total number of paid subscribers had passed 300,000. He then reported to Lai that Apple Daily would notify its readers that it would donate HK$300,000 to CHRF.

READ MORE: 'Jimmy Lai targeted US readers as political lever for US politics’ 

Cheung had earlier held positions at several of Lai’s publications. He joined Lai’s Next Magazine as business editor in 1991 and was appointed editor-in-chief in 1994. In April 2011, Cheung became the editor-in-chief of Apple Daily and was promoted to director in 2016. The newspaper was founded in 1995 and announced its closure in June 2021.

Cheung, who was arrested in June 2021, pleaded guilty in November 2022 to colluding with external elements to endanger national security, along with five other former Apple Daily executives.

Lai’s trial began on Dec 18 and is expected to last about 80 days. The founder of now-shuttered newspaper Apple Daily and its parent company Next Digital is facing one count of conspiracy to print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display or reproduce seditious publications, and two counts of conspiracy to collude with external forces to endanger national security. The sedition charge and one of the collusion charges were also brought against three Apple Daily-related companies. Another collusion charge against Lai has been left on the court file at the prosecution’s request.