On Tuesday last week, the Italian senate introduced a motion calling on the Italian government to act through international institutions to protect the rights of Next Digital founder Jimmy Lai (黎智英), as well as those of pro-democracy activists imprisoned in Hong Kong. Lai has been held in solitary confinement since 2020 on charges of “sedition” and “collusion with foreign powers” under Hong Kong’s National Security Law.
With this initiative, Italy joins similar efforts by parliamentary bodies in the US, the UK and Australia, as well as the European Parliament urging Chinese authorities to release Lai on humanitarian grounds.
The motion followed a news conference at the Italian senate on Oct. 27 by Italian Senator Giulio Terzi to draw attention to the forthcoming verdict in Lai’s trial. There is a real risk that Lai could be sentenced to life imprisonment — a terrifying prospect given his serious health conditions, which have worsened during his detention, his lawyer said.
Participants in the news conference stressed the destructive impact of the censorship imposed by Hong Kong authorities on the “one country, two systems” principle, which was meant to safeguard the autonomy guaranteed by the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.
In its World Press Freedom Index this year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Hong Kong 140th out of 180 countries and territories. It ranked 135th last year, 80th in 2020, 70th in 2015 and 18th in 2002 — the first year of the RSF report. This year’s assessment says: “Once a bastion of press freedom, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China has suffered a series of unprecedented setbacks since 2020, when Beijing adopted a National Security Law aimed at silencing independent voices.”
At the EU-China summit in July, the EU reiterated its deep concern over the ongoing erosion of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, where China should honor its previous commitments, as well as the human rights situation in Xinjiang and Tibet, and the treatment of human rights defenders and minority groups. The European Parliament has repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining the “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait.
One of the speakers at the conference was Lai’s son, Sebastien. In his remarks, Sebastien Lai referred to Taiwan, saying that in its past two presidential elections Taiwanese chose the Democratic Progressive Party candidates precisely because they had witnessed events in Hong Kong. For many in Taiwan, Hong Kong was the testing ground for the “one country, two systems” model often invoked in discussions about Taiwan — and the place where that promise was broken.
The motion to free Jimmy Lai is not only a call to liberate a man who has defended freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly; it is also an appeal to China to act responsibly, foster peace in the Taiwan Strait and ease international tensions.
Matteo Angioli is secretary general of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law “Marco Pannella.”
The cancelation this week of President William Lai’s (賴清德) state visit to Eswatini, after the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius revoked overflight permits under Chinese pressure, is one more measure of Taiwan’s shrinking executive diplomatic space. Another channel that deserves attention keeps growing while the first contracts. For several years now, Taipei has been one of Europe’s busiest legislative destinations. Where presidents and foreign ministers cannot land, parliamentarians do — and they do it in rising numbers. The Italian parliament opened the year with its largest bipartisan delegation to Taiwan to date: six Italian deputies and one senator, drawn from six
Recently, Taipei’s streets have been plagued by the bizarre sight of rats running rampant and the city government’s countermeasures have devolved into an anti-intellectual farce. The Taipei Parks and Street Lights Office has attempted to eradicate rats by filling their burrows with polyurethane foam, seeming to believe that rats could not simply dig another path out. Meanwhile, as the nation’s capital slowly deteriorates into a rat hive, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection has proudly pointed to the increase in the number of poisoned rats reported in February and March as a sign of success. When confronted with public concerns over young
Taiwan and India are important partners, yet this reality is increasingly being overshadowed in current debates. At a time when Taiwan-India relations are at a crossroads, with clear potential for deeper engagement and cooperation, the labor agreement signed in February 2024 has become a source of friction. The proposal to bring in 1,000 migrant workers from India is already facing significant resistance, with a petition calling for its “indefinite suspension” garnering more than 40,000 signatures. What should have been a straightforward and practical step forward has instead become controversial. The agreement had the potential to serve as a milestone in
China has long given assurances that it would not interfere in free access to the global commons. As one Ministry of Defense spokesperson put it in 2024, “the Chinese side always respects the freedom of navigation and overflight entitled to countries under international law.” Although these reassurances have always been disingenuous, China’s recent actions display a blatant disregard for these principles. Countries that care about civilian air safety should take note. In April, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) canceled a planned trip to Eswatini for the 40th anniversary of King Mswati III’s coronation and the 58th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic
RSS