Jimmy Lai, the Face of China’s Repression, to Receive the Bradley Prize

Lai’s story of suffering for freedom is not only inspirational; it, ironically, has drawn the world’s attention to the very oppression the CCP tries so mightily to cover up.

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Media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of Apple Daily speaks during an interview in Hong Kong, China, May 29, 2020.

Tyrone Siu/Reuters

Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong champion of freedom who is currently a political prisoner, has become the global face of those repressed in China. As announced today, he will be this year’s “honorary recipient” of the prestigious Bradley Prize for being a “courageous advocate for democracy and freedom of the press.” (I was a 2023 recipient.)

This is the latest tribute to Jimmy Lai. It is significant as it comes from the Milwaukee-based Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, an institution of the American heartland. It is a sign that Jimmy Lai, like Andrei Sakharov and Nelson Mandela before him, is becoming a household name. He is the only prisoner among China’s many thousands to be gaining name recognition among the broader American public.

Nina Shea

About the Author

Nina Shea

Nina Shea is director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and author of the new report “Ten Persecuted Catholic Bishops in China”

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