HONG KONG ¨C Hong Kong tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in his landmark trial, where he is accused of endangering China¡¯s national security, as prosecutors laid out details of what they said was collusion with foreign forces.
Lai, a leading critic of the Chinese Communist Party, faces two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces ¡ª including calling for sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials ¡ª under a China-imposed national security law.
¡°Not guilty,¡± Lai said three times as each charge was read, appearing calm as he sat in a glass dock surrounded by guards and a court filled with supporters and foreign diplomats.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.