Jimmy Lai and the Fight for Freedom in Hong Kong

Recorded on October 20, 2019
In this special edition of Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson recorded in front of a live audience at the Hoover Institution, Peter interviews Jimmy Lai, the entrepreneur and leader in the fight to preserve democracy in Hong Kong. Lai describes the struggles he has endured including having his home fire-bombed, his family harassed, and his business threatened by the Chinese Communist Party. They also discuss the Trump administration's response to the Hong Kong protest movement, how the NBA and other American businesses found themselves in an awkward position between their business interests and their politics, and what Lai believes to be China’s ultimate goal: to make Hong Kong just another city in Communist China. Finally, Lai asks Americans to keep Hong Kong at the forefront of their thoughts and not to give up on them.
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[@moreco2pls]

Jimmy, as a Mainland Chinese, I applaud you. As a language student, I am especially impressed by your English because I know you had less than 4 years of formal education.

[@brianbozo2447]

If the people of Hong Kong are walking in the streets and protesting against extradition of Hong Kong residents to China, should the British people not do the same on behalf of Julian Assange?

[@willlawrence8756]

Great interview; wondering if he could knock on door of Boris Johnson and ask him to release Julian Assange.

[@dccwchan]

I never heard of Jimmy Lai until the Hong Protests, but wow. An opportunity to hear a man that will be recorded in the history books as being truly great. But to answer one of the interviewer's questions of whether Chinese values can coexists with Western values, you need to look no further than Hong Kong itself. Hong Kong combines the best of Confucianism, hard work, family, productivity, individual responsibility, with the best of Western values of liberty, free thought, free expression, rule law and individualism.

[@johannesbekker1970]

Julian Jesus Asange is the sacrificial lamb slaughtered all over again... How many more ?

[@pelicanbird901]

Mr. Lai, your courage is truly inspiring. Your understanding of what is most important is an example to us even here in the US. What is profit at the expense of moral integrity? Thank you Peter for extending your platform to such a deserving voice. God bless and protect the people of Hong Kong.

[@nocturnally879]

So he is admitting being behind HK protest?

[@howardking3046]

It’s called having ‘skin in the game’! Eventually, every freedom loving American is going to have to make some hard choices too. We have tried to depend on others to step forward to defend our liberties but that won’t work. What we see going on in our nation’s capital right now is a testament to this truth.

[@icycannonball]

Democracy wouldn't work in China simply because of the population of the country. And on Mr. Lai's point on how he's the most "absolute" dictator because he has AI, well, you can bet that past dictators would've used AI had it been available to them. Also, if you asked the majority of Chinese citizens living in the mainland, they don't mind giving up some of their personal freedom in return for security. Don't for a second think that governments in the west don't spy on their citizens Mr. Lai. Just because China has openly advertised the usage of AI to monitor their cities doesn't mean that other countries don't use it as well. You also say that President Xi doesn't tolerate a free HK, but you just mentioned that one of HK's greatest strengths its rule of law, so if you incorporate HK into China's method of doing things, then there would be no rule of law as it currently stands. Furthermore, President Xi has said that HK's system CAN work, providing it doesn't destabilize the "one country".

[@LovingPrinceTamayuki]

"Make us your narrative in daily life political conversations." I love that idea.

[@harveydentan4910]

Jimmy Lai is an inspiring person. Thank you for all you have done to promote Freedom and Democracy. You said all the truth about what happening in Hong Kong. Now, is the time to put maximal pressure on the CCP in Beijing. They have their hands full of trade war, manufacturing index falling, huge rise of pork meat with the African swine fever crisis, increasing inflation, foreign investors and capitals fleeing China, local governments bad debt bubble, housing bubble, yuan devaluation. The image of China abroad is disastrous and the 50 cents comments here will change nothing.

[@foocheewai7896]

Peaceful protest is good but not the violence the younger generation created like destroying the public installation, setting fire,demage business and others.

[@hieveryone1106]

China never disqualified some elected councillor， it is hk local council disqualified those elected councillor because they are not follow oath and promoted independent hk!

[@MarkAndrewRitchie]

Peter Robinson: Who was the genius who came up with your title, "Uncommon Knowledge?" We have a saying in our business (trading), "The crowd is always wrong." Yours is better, but we are both on the right track.

[@charleschenhua]

Is Jimmy Lai Chinese or American? I think he may be confused.

[@thelmaprice2244]

the most professional informative interview I have seen in a long time, God bless Hong Kong

[@louiswkq19]

Thank Hoover and Peter for this interview. God bless you and America !

[@Twong58]

本人香港仔現居加拿大 非常敬佩黎智英先生無比的勇氣良心商人為香港人嘅言論自由勇敢地站在最前線不惜代價犧牲自己或家人。人在做 天在看 支持香港愛自由。🤟❤️❤️🤟

[@acarouselofantics]

"Wishful thinking does not always work." - Jimmy Lai

[@richtam6211]

Thank you very much, Jimmy Lai.