Sebastien Lai Condemns UK Government's Handling of Father's Case During China Trip
The son of imprisoned Hong Kong media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has launched a stinging critique of the UK government's approach during Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent diplomatic visit to China. Sebastien Lai has expressed profound disappointment that ministers failed to attach conditions to his father's release while engaging with Chinese leadership in Beijing.
Parliamentary Hearing Reveals Family's Frustration
Speaking at a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday before the all-party parliamentary group on arbitrary detention and hostage affairs, Sebastien Lai articulated his growing concern about both his father's deteriorating health and what he perceives as inadequate governmental action. He emphasised that his father's incarceration represents not merely a humanitarian crisis but a fundamental challenge to British values and principles.
"If it is so important then surely there should be some conditionalities put on my father's release," Sebastien Lai told parliamentarians. "The trip was a big thing to have been given away, the embassy as well." His comments reference the UK government's recent approval of a controversial new Chinese embassy in London, which some critics argue weakened Britain's negotiating position before Starmer's Beijing visit.
Background to Jimmy Lai's Imprisonment
Jimmy Lai, a 78-year-old British citizen and former media tycoon, was convicted of national security offences in December 2025 following an extended trial lasting nearly two years. International human rights organisations have consistently denounced the proceedings as politically motivated, characterising them as a direct assault on press freedom and democratic expression in Hong Kong.
Weeks before the prime minister's landmark China visit – the first by a UK leader in eight years – Sebastien Lai met with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to discuss his father's declining health in solitary confinement and the critical importance of his case. Despite these discussions, the family feels the government missed a crucial opportunity during high-level negotiations.
Political Criticism and Diplomatic Context
The prime minister's China visit yielded several tangible outcomes, including a visa waiver agreement, the removal of sanctions on British parliamentarians, and commitments to increased investment by UK firms in China. However, these achievements have been overshadowed for some by the failure to secure Jimmy Lai's freedom.
Former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten offered a particularly biting assessment of the diplomatic results, noting "It was a tragedy that the only thing that came out of this trip was Johnnie Walker not Jimmy Lai," referencing the reduction on whisky taxes agreed between the nations. Lord Patten further questioned the substance of discussions about Lai's case, asking what Chinese officials actually said in response to the prime minister raising the matter.
Legal Team Expresses Strategic Concerns
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, who leads Jimmy Lai's international legal team and has met with both Starmer and Cooper, acknowledged some increased urgency from the government but expressed reservations about the overall strategy. "We make no secret of the fact we think there's been a strategic misstep in not putting conditionality," Gallagher stated. "It feels to us the UK hasn't necessarily played the cards it has as well as it could have."
Sebastien Lai emphasised the pressing timeline, stating "Time is running out for my father," and poignantly adding that "Surely a man who defended freedom deserves a bit of it himself." He warned of catastrophic consequences for both governments should his father, whose sentencing date remains uncertain, pass away while imprisoned.
The case continues to highlight the complex balancing act between pursuing closer economic ties with China – the world's second largest economy – and upholding fundamental British values regarding human rights and democratic freedoms.
