I have a newspaper page pinned above my desk. It's the Beijing-based Hong Kong newspaper Oriental Daily's front page, and the headline is: "Jimmy Lai with drawn knives - with the United States, against China, for chaos".

The image for the headline is a montage with media mogul Jimmy Lai and Donald Trump on either side of a masked Hong Kong protester. The article below describes Jimmy Lai as "the black hand" who sells Hong Kong to the United States.

"Associated with free-riding cocky opposition"

Both Gui Minhai and Jimmy Lai are associated with a free-spirited and cocky opposition to the central government in Beijing. High and low. Roller swings and strokes under the belt. Gui published scandal books about China's highest leader. Lai prints heavy tabloids and is an important financial contributor to the Hong Kong democracy movement.

The indictment against Jimmy Lai is, according to the South China Morning Post, that he participated in an unauthorized demonstration at the end of August, and that he must have insulted and threatened a journalist from Oriental Daily.

"It seems almost personal"

But it's easy to imagine that Jimmy Lai is simply making the leadership in Beijing appalling. It seems almost personal. In fact, I don't even have to imagine.

In July, Jimmy Lai visited Washington, and met with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for talks and photographs. The following day, the Chinese government office published the Central Government Commissioner in Hong Kong a statement that shook with anger.

Jimmy Lai is named in the beginning, but towards the end, insults are rising, and applies to all traitors in Hong Kong: “Their ugly nuns and abominable acts must be despised by all Chinese, including all Hong Kong residents. These culprits - the scum of this nation - will forever be humbled by the shame of history. "