In late May 2020, Jimmy Lai suddenly proposed the establishment of an English edition of Apple Daily, hoping that Apple Daily could expand to the US and that American readers could become leverage for Apple Daily and US politics. Lai requested the writers for the English version of Apple Daily should hold a biased stance, and not produce pro-China articles.

In late May 2020, Jimmy Lai suddenly proposed the establishment of an English edition of Apple Daily, hoping that Apple Daily could expand to the US and that American readers could become leverage for Apple Daily and US politics. Lai requested the writers for the English version of Apple Daily should hold a biased stance, and not produce pro-China articles. Lai also requested that Fung Wai-kong, who had resigned as managing editor of Apple Daily, return to become the editor-in-chief of the English version of Apple Daily. Lai requested that selected articles in the Chinese version of Apple Daily had to be supportive of protests, anti-establishment, in favor of sanctions, anti-government, and anti-CPC, and then be translated into English.