Washington, Feb. 9 -- Rep. Chris Smith issued the following press release:
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, issued the following statement in wake of a Hong Kong court's horrific 20-year sentencing (https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/after-years-long-legal-battle-hong-kong-media-tycoon-jimmy-lai-arrives-day-2026-02-08/) of the 78-year-old Jimmy Lai-functionally, a life sentence:
Jimmy Lai is a man of faith and conscientious conviction, and he should be released immediately. Despite-or perhaps, in spite of-his life's work as a legendary entrepreneur and a lion of free speech, Jimmy has been unjustly prosecuted and persecuted by functionaries, who, for all purposes, are lackey...