Jimmy Lai testimony spotlights mogul's Trump hopes, Biden doubts

Hong Kong tycoon called Chinese leader 'most absolute dictator' even above Mao

Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai's trial has delved into his views of Joe Biden and Donald Trump, expressed around the time of the 2020 U.S. election. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Kyodo, Reuters, and AP)

KENJI KAWASE, Nikkei Asia chief business news correspondent

January 10, 2025 19:39 JST

HONG KONG -- Global politics have taken center stage in the marathon national security trial of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, highlighting his doubts about current U.S. President Joe Biden and support for returning Donald Trump.

The trial of Lai, who stands accused of colluding with foreign forces and conspiring to publish seditious materials, has now spanned into a third year and reached day 117 on Thursday. He has been testifying since November, providing an on-the-record perspective on the events of 2020 -- the year Trump lost the White House to Biden.