"Democracy is irresistible. And this country is gonna open, is gonna undergo a great change and great change means great opportunity," said Lai, casually dressed in jeans by Giordano, a fashion chain he founded.
It was Lai's outspoken criticism of Beijing that led him to sell his stake in Giordano and relinquish the chairman's seat.
His Hong Kong-based Apple Daily (
Lai said Hong Kong's Next will serve as a base to enter China's southern Cantonese-speaking media market once the doors are opened, while the Taiwan edition will target the Mandarin-speaking north.
"Taiwan is definitely a strong catalyst to induce China going forward to its political restructuring to democracy," Lai said.
His Hong Kong-based Next Media (壹傳媒) has invested NT$500 million into the magazine's Taiwan edition, which will feature news on politics, the economy, entertainment and lifestyles.
It will sell for NT$75 a copy and Lai hopes to break even in two years.
He has hired about half of the 300 reporters laid off by Taiwan's online newspaper Tomorrow Times (
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