Taiwan’s sister website of former Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily set for sale

Hong Kong liquidator for owner Next Digital, founded by jailed tycoon Jimmy Lai, is negotiating with potential buyers for Taiwan’s Apple Online, latter says

Apple Daily closed in June after executives and journalists were arrested and assets frozen for allegedly breaching Hong Kong national security law

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Next Digital is being wound up in Hong Kong after its newspaper Apple Daily fell foul of the city’s sweeping national security law. Photo: David Wong

Published: 8:16pm, 27 Dec 2021

Taiwanese news website Apple Online is set to be sold, with its owner being wound up after sister Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily closed during a crackdown under the city’s new national security law.

The liquidator for Next Digital, the media group founded by jailed Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, had been negotiating with potential buyers, Apple Online said on Monday.

The Hong Kong operation closed in June after executives and journalists were arrested and financial assets frozen for allegedly breaching a sweeping security law imposed on the city by China’s central government.

The financially strapped Taiwanese edition Apple Online had been rumoured to face closure at the end of this month after a Hong Kong court two weeks ago ordered the winding up of Next Digital following a government petition.

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Hong Kong tabloid Apple Daily ceases operations after top executives arrested, assets frozen

“After months of concerns from community leaders, civic groups and readers … Apple Online Taiwan has received notice from the office of Kenny Tam & Co, in charge of the liquidation of Next Digital, that a deal is under way,” the Taiwanese outlet said, naming a company called Avengers as one of the potential buyers.

It said Avengers was not funded by or linked to a mainland Chinese entity, but gave no other details of the company’s background.