In this special edition of Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson, recorded in front of a live audience at the Hoover Institution, I interview Jimmy Lai, an entrepreneur and a leader in the fight to preserve democracy in Hong Kong. Lai describes the struggles he has endured, including having his home fire-bombed, his family harassed, and his business threatened by the Chinese Communist Party. We also discuss the Trump administration’s response to the Hong Kong protest movement, how the NBA and other American businesses are finding themselves in an awkward position navigating between their business interests and their politics, and what Lai believes to be China’s ultimate goal: to make Hong Kong just another city in Communist China. Finally, Lai asks Americans to keep Hong Kong at the forefront of their thoughts and not to give up on its citizens.


Recorded on October 20, 2019.