Michael Segarty

The Arrest of Jimmy Lai Spurs Defiance

On August 10, the Hong Kong police launched a large-scale raid and arrested 10 people, including the founder of media group Next Digital, Jimmy Lai, his two sons, several executives of Next Digital, and Zhou Ting, a former member of an opposition group. They were suspected of violating Hong Kong’s National Security Law. The police ...

Michael Segarty

Jimmy Lai wearing a face mask.

Press Freedom Threatened as Jimmy Lai Arrested by Hong Kong Police

On August 10, the Hong Kong police arrested seven people, including Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, a Hong Kong tabloid-style newspaper. It is part of Next Digital, the parent company. Along with Jimmy Lai, his two sons and four senior officials of Next Digital were also arrested under the new Hong Kong National Security ...

Michael Segarty

Jimmy Lai wearing a face mask.

WeChat and TikTok Banned

Citing national security concerns, President Trump issued an executive order (EO) on August 6, 2020, to prohibit any U.S. company or person from transacting with ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok and messaging app WeChat. The executive orders take effect within 45 days, after which the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, will further ...

Michael Segarty

WeChat app on a smartphone.

Di Qing: From Frightened Coward to Victorious General

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Han Qi and Fan Zhongyan led the armies to defend against the menacing Western Xia Dynasty. Both influential dignitaries were held in very high esteem by the military. Upon arriving in Shaanxi, an official recommended the unknown Di Qing to them. He was a brave fighter and was considered to ...

Michael Segarty

Painting 'Summer Mountains.'

U.S. Considers Expelling All CCP Members

The New York Times reported on July 15 that the Trump administration is considering a travel ban on all Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members and their families, which would prevent them from entering the United States. When news of the proposal came out, search volume on Google for the term “Quit the CCP” soared.  On ...

Michael Segarty

Chinese who have withdrawn from the CCP.

Hong Kong People Rebuild Their Lives in the United Kingdom

A former trade and investment officer of the UK’s Hong Kong consulate, Zheng Wenjie, founded the British Hong Kong Overseas Chinese Association (HKB). Their website was officially launched on July 16, 2020. Wenjie hopes to provide a platform for Hong Kong people to support each other so that they can rebuild their lives in the ...

Michael Segarty

The British flag flying.

A Captive Turtle and Buddha Return the Blessing

In 2010, I worked in Dongying of Shandong Province, China. One day, as I was passing by a wet market I saw a wild, softshell turtle in a tank in front of a seafood stall. The captive turtle had a distinctive mark on its shell and was trying hard to struggle its way out of the tank. Moved by ...

Michael Segarty

A softshell turtle.