By Jessie Pang, James Pomfret HONG KONG, November 20 (Reuters) -Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, 76, testified in court for the first time on Wednesday in his landmark national security trial,

HONG KONG (AP) — Former Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai testified he met with then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during Hong Kong’s anti-government protests in 2019 but told the court at his landmark national security trial Wednesday that he did not ask the U.S. officials to take action.

The media mogul told the court he wanted the people of Hong Kong to be more informed about freedom. It is Lai's first testimony in the trial against him for alleged violations of Hong Kong's controversial security law.