The court will record Lai’s plea before hearing the opening statement from the prosecution, with witnesses to take the stand afterwards. The trial is expected to last about 80 days.
Three High Court judges will decide whether Lai’s conduct constitutes sedition and collusion with foreign forces for allegedly seeking international sanctions against local and national authorities and inciting public hatred during the 2019 social unrest.
London and Washington in December both called for the 76-year-old’s immediate release, with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron accusing the prosecution of being “politically motivated”.
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Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s high-stakes national security trial gets under way
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s high-stakes national security trial gets under way
Verdict for trial of Hong Kong 47
A panel of three top judges are also expected to hand down a ruling as early as March for 16 opposition figures who pleaded not guilty of conspiring to subvert state power through an unofficial Legislation Council primary election in 2020.
The group face up to life in prison if they are found guilty of taking part in a “grand strategy of subversion” that allegedly breached national security legislation.
The other 31 out of the 47-strong group have already pleaded guilty to the charge and will go through mitigation proceedings this year before the judges issue a ruling.
Hong Kong 47: who are the key defendants in national security trial?
Hong Kong 47: who are the key defendants in national security trial?
Passage of Article 23
The legislation will supplement the existing Beijing-imposed law from 2020 and is expected to cover espionage, theft of state secrets and political activities conducted by foreign political entities.
While further details on the legislation, including plans for a public consultation, are not yet clear, security minister Chris Tang Ping-keung has suggested that Hong Kong’s definition of state secrets will differ from the mainland’s.
Protesters appear in court five years on
In the nearly five years since Hong Kong witnessed demonstrations against a now-shelved extradition bill that turned into anti-government protests, police have made 10,279 arrests in connection with the incident and charged 2,910 of the group.
While proceedings for most of the related cases have closed, courts in 2024 are still contending with a backlog of trials and appeals, including those linked to mob violence at Yuen Long MTR station that took place on July 21, 2019.
Police chief Raymond Siu Chak-yee had suggested concluding all related cases by March 2023, but city leader Lee later ruled out setting any time frame as “unrealistic”.
The city’s appeal court will also hear the government’s second bid to ban “Glory to Hong Kong” through way of an injunction.
The song, composed amid the unrest, has been mistaken overseas for being Hong Kong’s national anthem at several high-profile sports events.
Court role over national security limited, ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ appeal told
Court role over national security limited, ‘Glory to Hong Kong’ appeal told
Waste charge from April 1
Under the policy, residents must pay to use rubbish bags, which are available in nine sizes and priced at 11 HK cents per litre. Oversized waste will be levied using paid labels.
The scheme will only be actively enforced after a six-month transition period, during which some residents will receive free bags.
Advocacy groups have also raised concerns that people with disabilities will end up paying more as some used medical supplies cannot be recycled.
Taking a drive from Guangdong to Hong Kong
Private motorists from Guangdong province and Macau will have the opportunity to drive to Hong Kong under a quota scheme set to launch in 2024.
But the first phase will only allow drivers to park their cars at a facility near the border, with visitors to rely on public transport to travel further into the city.
Motorists must reserve one of thousands of spaces at an “automatic” facility at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
Transport minister Lam Sai-hung earlier said authorities had not set a timeline for expanding the scheme, citing concerns about the conditions of local roads.
He also criticised city authorities for assigning an “economic” policy to transport officials.
Hong Kong’s transport chief raises concerns over southbound travel plan
Hong Kong’s transport chief raises concerns over southbound travel plan
Phased completion of Kai Tak Sports Park
The Kai Tak Sports Park, which forms the centrepiece of redevelopment efforts at the former airport site, is expected to be “completed in phases” by the end of 2024, one year ahead of the original target.
The main venue can hold up to 50,000 people and will host the iconic rugby sevens tournament from 2025 onwards. The local music industry also hopes the site can help attract mega pop stars after Taylor Swift and Coldplay skipped Hong Kong for their 2024 concert series.
Victoria Harbour in 2024 will also be the site of the E1 World Championship finale, the first-ever all-electric boat race, as part of efforts to attract major events and boost the city’s global profile.
Hong Kong airport to use 3 runways
The Airport Authority said it expected a full post-pandemic recovery by the end of 2024, reporting flight movements and passenger traffic had reached 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels.
Hong Kong’s air passenger traffic expected to return to pre-Covid levels by 2024
Hong Kong’s air passenger traffic expected to return to pre-Covid levels by 2024
Depleting government coffers
Hong Kong faces uncertain economic prospects for 2024, with the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce predicting a full-year real gross domestic product growth forecast of 2.9 per cent, citing “external headwinds” such as weak global demand and high interest rates.
The city is also expecting another eye-watering deficit in the new year following tough conditions in the property and financial markets in 2023 that weighed on the government’s land sales and stamp duty income.
That would follow an estimated deficit of HK$139.8 billion in the previous year, the second highest on record.
Hong Kong’s fiscal reserves stood at HK$670.7 billion as of November 30, 2023, compared with HK$1.1 trillion in the same period in 2018.
Hong Kong deficit hits HK$164.1 billion for first 8 months of financial year
Hong Kong deficit hits HK$164.1 billion for first 8 months of financial year
Population boom or bust?
The new year will also serve as a waypoint for a raft of government measures to overcome past migration waves and a flagging birth rate.
City leader Lee’s administration has already introduced several measures to encourage families to have more children, such as a HK$20,000 handout for every newborn, and get a foot on the property ladder.
Hong Kong previously launched a series of drives to trawl for skilled workers, such as the Top Talent Pass Scheme. The government has already brought in more than 81,000 people under the various policies as of November, more than double its original target.
The general population stood at 7,498,100 in June 2023, up 2.1 per cent from 7,346,100 logged the year before, signalling a recouping of the decline recorded since 2020.
