Officials from the central government, on Monday, voiced firm support for the Hong Kong judiciary’s sentencing of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, saying the ruling demonstrates judicial fairness in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and underscores the city’s resolve to safeguard national security.

Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Hong Kong High Court on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The verdict was handed down by three national security judges — Esther Toh Lye ping, Susana Maria D’Almada Remedios and Alex Lee Wan-tang. Eight other defendants involved in the case received prison terms ranging from six years and three months to 10 years.

Addressing a regular news conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Lai was the principal mastermind and participant in a series of anti-China activities that severely undermined the “one country, two systems” principle and endangered national security. Lin said Lai’s actions had significantly harmed Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, as well as the welfare of its residents.

“The central government firmly supports the HKSAR in safeguarding national security in accordancewith the law,” Lin said. He stressed that the case is an internal affair of the SAR and urged countries that have interfered to respect China’s sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

“Practice has proven that the better the HKSAR National Security Law is implemented, the more stable and secure Hong Kong society becomes, and the more effectively the rights and freedoms of the vast majority of Hong Kong residents are safeguarded,” Lin said. “Only then can Hong Kong’s golden reputation shine even brighter, and the practice of ‘one country, two systems’ proceed steadily and enduringly.”

An article published under the pen name Gang Aoping on the official social media account of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said the sentencing fully reflects Hong Kong society’s collective condemnation of principal offenders who sought to undermine China’s stability and the region’s prosperity.

The article praised the court’s ruling, saying it forcefully demonstrates that anyone who dares to challenge laws safeguarding national security will inevitably face severe punishment.

A representative of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR said the sentencing fully demonstrates the impartiality of the judiciary and the authority of the rule of law. 

The 855-page verdict clearly identified Lai as the “mastermind” behind relevant anti-China groups, the representative said, adding that the evidence was irrefutable and the crimes grave. 

The representative also criticized what was described as “double standards” by some countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, accusing them of openly supporting and offering protection to Lai despite what the representative called overwhelming evidence presented during the trial. 

“The despicable tricks of external and anti-China forces have once again proved useless,” the representative said. In a separate statement, a representative of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR said the sentencing underscores the authority of national security and safeguards the spirit of the rule of law in the SAR. 

The statement emphasized that upholding national sovereignty, security and development interests is the paramount principle under “one country, two systems”, and that lawfully protecting national security and strictly punishing criminal acts that endanger it are fundamental responsibilities of any country or region. 

According to the statement, the case proceedings clearly demonstrated that Lai’s actions posed a serious threat to national security, challenged the constitutional order of the HKSAR, and significantly undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity, stability and the well-being of its residents. 

Separately, the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR published a letter on its official website addressed to foreign media organizations based in Hong Kong.

“Conducted without external influence, the proceedings adhered to rigorous standards of fairness, were grounded in clear facts and robust evidence, and culminated in a legally sound verdict,” the letter said. “The ruling stands as a testament to the professionalism, transparency and impartiality of Hong Kong’s judicial system.” 

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The letter urged foreign journalists in Hong Kong to respect the independence of the city’s judicial process, uphold journalistic professionalism and report on the case objectively and fairly, without politicizing legal matters.

Contact the writers at editor@chinadailyhk.com