The spokesperson of the Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the HKSAR strongly disapproved and firmly rejected the irresponsible comments of the US State Department and a small number of US and UK politicians on some judicial cases of the HKSAR, which showed support to anti-China force Jimmy Lai and slandered the national security law. We urge external forces to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs!

The spokesperson said that the core essence of the rule of law is to abide by the law, enforce the law, and hold law-breakers accountable. As a planner and instigator of the anti-China disruptive activities in Hong Kong, and as an “agent” and “pawn” of the anti-China forces of the US and some other Western countries, Jimmy Lai took pride in foreign interference, undermined the political system, spread separatist remarks, and begged for foreign sanctions at the cost of the fundamental interests of more than 7 million Hong Kong people. His crime of collusion with foreign forces is clear. The SAR Government’s law enforcement towards Jimmy Lai and others in accordance with law is a necessary move to guard against risks endangering national security, protect the authority of the national security law, and safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.

The spokesperson pointed out that Hong Kong’s basic law and the national security law protect the wide range of lawful rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong people, including freedom of speech and the press. However, rights and freedoms are not excuses for crimes, and no one has the privilege to be above the law. A few countries speak out every once in a while to whitewash Jimmy Lai, an agent they cultivated but in fact the culprit who organized, planned and participated in the Hong Kong version of the “color revolution”, as a "democracy fighter", and sugarcoated his remarks inciting independence and subversion as "freedom movement" speeches. It fully exposes their sinister intentions to collude with anti-China forces in Hong Kong to undermine Hong Kong's prosperity and stability and use Hong Kong to contain China!

The spokesperson stressed that anyone who violates the red line of the law will not get away with punishment, any act that threatens national sovereignty, security and development interests will not succeed, and any attempt to interfere will be futile! The likes of Jimmy Lai have long been firmly nailed to the pillar of humiliation for betraying the motherland and the people, and must be duly punished under the rule of law. We urge a few politicians of the US and some other Western countries to respect the spirit of the rule of law, stop their futile efforts to whitewash criminals, and stop undermining the judicial system of the SAR!