The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong firmly supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in its lawful conviction of Jimmy Lai on charges of conspiracy to collude with external forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious materials. In response to the criticism and blatant interference and smearing of Hong Kong's judiciary by countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Germany, as well as the European Union and a few politicians regarding this conviction, the spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office expressed strong dissatisfaction, firm opposition, and serious condemnation.
The spokesperson pointed out that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, where everyone is equal before the law, and no one possesses privileges above it. Jimmy Lai was a key planner and participant in the anti-China and Hong Kong-destabilizing events, and an "agent" and "pawn" of external anti-China forces, whose words and actions seriously endangered national security. The HKSAR's judicial organs have performed their duties in accordance with the law, upholding legal authority and defending national security. This is reasonable, rational, and lawful, and allows no interference. The Lai case has nothing to do with "press freedom". Any attempt to whitewash Lai or to interfere with the judiciary through political pressure is a blatant trampling of the spirit of the rule of law.
The spokesperson stated that certain countries and politicians have long used the banners of "human rights" and "freedom" to smear Hong Kong's rule of law, attempting to undermine its prosperity and stability and interfere in China's internal affairs. When they enforce their own national security laws, they call it "defending the rule of law"; yet, when the HKSAR takes actions of the same nature in accordance with the law, it is slandered as "suppressing freedom." This typical double standard fully exposes their hypocrisy and malicious intentions.
The spokesperson emphasized that the relevant judicial case is purely an internal affair of the HKSAR and brooks no interference! The clumsy performances of the concerned countries and politicians cannot stop the historical trend of Hong Kong's transition from chaos to governance and prosperity. Their threats of sanctions are doomed to be futile. We urge the relevant countries and politicians to recognize the reality, pull back from the brink, and immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs.