Beijing office backs Hong Kong court in Jimmy Lai conviction

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Monday expressed its resolute support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's duty to safeguard national security, endorsing the conviction of media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.

The office released a statement after the HKSAR High Court on Monday found Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid, guilty of violating the National Security Law for Hong Kong, including two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.

The office said Lai was a primary planner of "anti-China activities" and a "proxy" for external anti-China forces who consistently jeopardized national security and severely damaged the "one country, two systems" principle.

It referenced the social unrest around 2019, alleging that Lai frequently visited Western nations to solicit sanctions against China, manipulated media to incite hatred, and funded anti-government activists.

According to the statement, extensive facts revealed during the trial proved Lai's actions were detrimental to state security, identifying him as the "chief culprit" of past unrest and a "traitor" serving foreign interests.

The office said that "all people, including Hong Kong compatriots, are filled with righteous indignation and strongly demand his severe punishment in accordance with the law."

The HKMAO reiterated that safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests is the "highest principle" of the "one country, two systems" policy. It noted that since the implementation of the National Security Law, the HKSAR's administrative, legislative, and judicial organs have earnestly fulfilled their duties to prevent and punish acts endangering national security.

The statement said Hong Kong society has returned to normal, with a strong consensus that national security leads to Hong Kong's safety.

"Today's Hong Kong has an increasingly sound legal system and enforcement mechanism for safeguarding national security," the office said, adding that the days of external forces and anti-China elements acting with impunity are "gone forever".

The HKMAO warned that anyone challenging the national security laws "will certainly face severe punishment by the law" and it dismissed external interference or threats of sanctions against HKSAR officials as "futile" acts that only stiffen Hong Kong society's resolve to safeguard national security.