Jimmy Lai denies seeking Trump’s help as he testifies for first time in Hong Kong case

“How can I request any action to be taken?” Mr. Lai said. “Asking the vice president to do something? This is beyond me.”

The Hong Kong government accuses Mr Lai of “polluting the minds” of “impressionable” citizens.

“Are you saying that they have no ideas or values ​​of their own, that they are a blank slate? I disagree,” Mr. Lai said.

Mr. Lai also denied that interactions with government officials abroad had any impact on Apple Daily’s political reporting.

His denial followed earlier evidence that the paper’s reporting had become more radical from 2014, when election changes proposed by Beijing triggered widespread protests.

“Editorial stewardship is the core value of Hong Kong people engraved in their hearts,” Mr. Lai said.

Lai explained that the newspaper’s coverage reflected social movements that were becoming more active in Hong Kong at the time.

“As a newspaper, we had to respond,” he said, adding: “If I was a radical, I was a radical from the beginning.”

The trial continues.