China versus democracy and the fate of Jimmy Lai

China’s relationship with Western democracies and the democratic systems of its near neighbours is becoming increasingly hostile. From covert attempts to infiltrate and influence UK politics to its widely reported elimination of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, China and its formidable leader Xi Jinping are conducting a relentless war of attrition on democracies all over the globe. To get to grips with the issues that underpin China’s political aims and how we might better understand them, journalists Nina Dos Santos and Owen Bennett-Jones are joined by four guests, some of whom have direct experience of China’s political repression. China expert and journalist Isabel Hilton gives us an overview on the country's relationship with democracy, Sebastien Lai, son of Hong Kong’s jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai, talks about his hopes for his father’s release, Peter Humphrey, a former journalist and consultant who spent 23 months in a Chinese jail, tells us what he believes China’s future ambitions to be and human rights campaigner Luke De Pulford, talks about the direct threat China poses to political life in the UK.

Ctrl Alt Deceit is brought to you by Democratys, a charity committed to exposing interference in our democratic institutions and inspiring debate and engagement in our democratic process in the UK and beyond. 

Producer: Paige Reynolds 

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