Schedule

Wednesday, February 19, 2025
6 p.m. Drinks-Only Reception
7 p.m. Author Talk

Join Asia Society Texas and the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston as journalist and author Mark Clifford tells the incredible story of billionaire and democracy activist Jimmy Lai in The Troublemaker. The book chronicles Lai's escape from China when he was 12 years old and his early years of working odd jobs in Hong Kong to survive. He began supplying apparel to some of the most recognizable international clothing brands and eventually founded the international apparel company Giordano.

In the 1990s, Jimmy Lai sold Giordano and moved into the publishing industry. He founded the Apple Daily newspaper which became known for its pro-democracy stance and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party. Catching the attention of Beijing officials, Lai became one of the highest-profile targets of Hong Kong's 2020 national security law that targeted free speech. After the passage of the law, he was arrested and has been held in prison without bail ever since.

Clifford will be joined in conversation by World Affairs Council of Greater Houston Chief Programming Officer Ronan O’Malley. 

About the Author

Mark L. Clifford is president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, an NGO dedicated to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law for the people of Hong Kong. Previously, he was executive director of the Hong Kong–based Asia Business Council, and a board director at Next Digital, the Hong Kong media giant founded and majority-owned by Jimmy Lai. During his twenty-eight years in Hong Kong, he served as editor-in-chief of both English-language newspapers, the South China Morning Post and The Standard, of which he was also publisher. He held senior editorial positions at BusinessWeek and the Far Eastern Economic Review in Hong Kong and Seoul, and lived in Asia from 1987 until 2020. A history graduate of the University of California Berkeley and a Walter Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, he holds a PhD in Hong Kong history from the University of Hong Kong. Clifford has won numerous journalism, academic, and book awards, and is the author of Today Hong Kong, Tomorrow the World: What China’s Crackdown Reveals About Its Plans to End Freedom Everywhere.

About the Moderator

Ronan O’Malley is the Chief Programming Officer for the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston, where he oversees the large variety of speakers and events hosted by the Council. He also teaches continuing education classes at the Council on global affairs and U.S. foreign policy. He has a BA in International Studies and History, and an MBA in International Business. In his over ten years with the Council, he has had the privilege of interviewing a wide array of foreign policy leaders, decision-makers and authorities from the U.S. and other nations, including General Jim Mattis, 26th Secretary of Defense of the United States, Jake Sullivan, 28th (Current) United States National Security Advisor, and Susan Rice, 24th United States National Security Advisor & 27th U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. 

Asia Society hosts today's leading voices, providing commentary on events in news, society, and culture. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect Asia Society views.

Asia Society Texas Business & Policy Programs are endowed by the Huffington Foundation.

Business and Policy programs at Asia Society Texas are presented by Bank of America, Muffet Blake, and ExxonMobil. Major support comes from Nancy C. Allen, Chinhui Juhn and Eddie Allen, The Brown Foundation, Inc., and Houston Endowment Inc. Generous funding provided by bp America, Inc, Anne and Albert Chao, ConocoPhillips, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas), Regions Bank, and Stephanie and Frank Tsuru. Additional support is provided by the Friends of Asia Society, a dedicated group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming.

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About Asia Society Texas

Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.

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