China has reacted firmly to the attempts by Britain and a number of other Western countries to interfere in the case of Jimmy Lai. A chief instigator of riots and violent turmoil in Hong Kong in 2019-20, in active collusion with foreign forces, the former proprietor of the now defunct Apple Daily was on, December 15, found guilty in the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on two counts of conspiring to collude with external forces and of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. He will be sentenced at a later date.
On 15 December, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang met with a senior official of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to lodge solemn representations over the UK side’s statement that made irresponsible remarks on the Hong Kong High Court’s guilty verdict in the case. He urged the UK to abandon its colonial mindset, immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs, stop meddling in China’s internal affairs, and stop making the case for anti-China rioters bent on destabilising Hong Kong.
Ambassador Zheng described the British actions as a gross interference in China’s internal affairs, which tramples on the spirit of the rule of law, and seriously violates the basic norms governing international relations. China firmly opposes this and condemns it in the strongest terms.
“Facts have fully proven that Jimmy Lai was the primary planner and participant in a series of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, a pawn of external anti-China forces, and the instigator behind the turbulence over the amendment bill in 2019. What he did was by no means ‘peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression’, as claimed by the UK side. Lai is a Chinese citizen, and China has never recognised dual nationality.
“The UK’s colonial rule over Hong Kong ended long ago, and the UK is in no position and has no right to point fingers at or interfere in Hong Kong affairs. Any attempt by the UK to interfere in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs will only further expose its malicious intent to destabilise Hong Kong, will only provoke society-wide indignation in Hong Kong, and will get nowhere. China urges the UK to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs and China’s internal affairs, stop making the case for anti-China rioters bent on destabilising Hong Kong, and stop going further down the wrong path.”
Additionally, a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy noted that: “On 15 December, the UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a statement, which made irresponsible remarks on the conviction of Jimmy Lai and smeared the National Security Law for Hong Kong. This blatantly interferes in China’s internal affairs and tramples on the rule of law and seriously violates the basic norms governing international relations. We strongly oppose and condemn such an unjustified move by the UK side.”
Lai “publicly begged foreign countries to impose sanctions on China and the Hong Kong SAR, brazenly proclaimed ‘fighting for the US,’ colluded with ‘Hong Kong independence’ and ‘violent riots’ organisations as well as foreign forces, abused media tools to incite hatred and intensify confrontation, and drummed up support for violent activities, in an attempt to destabilise Hong Kong and pursue a ‘colour revolution.’… Lai’s doing was by no means what the UK side claimed to be ‘peacefully’ exercising his right to freedom of expression.”
It added that: “Hong Kong has long returned to China and British colonial rule in Hong Kong has been put to an end long ago. Hong Kong-related affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. The UK is in no position and has no right to point fingers at or interfere in Hong Kong-related affairs. The UK side’s attempt to interfere in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs will only further expose its sinister motive to destabilise Hong Kong.”
A spokesperson for the Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) also condemned the blatant interference in and slanders against Hong Kong’s judiciary from Britain, Australia, the United States, Germany and the European Union, as well as certain politicians, noting that certain countries and politicians have long been vilifying the rule of law in Hong Kong under the pretexts of “human rights” and “freedom” in an attempt to destabilise Hong Kong, “which is typical double standards.”
The Chinese charges levelled at the British response to Lai’s conviction are entirely appropriate, apposite and correct. Indeed, one would be hard-pressed to find more clear cut and blatant examples of hypocrisy and double standards.
Whilst overtly meddling in the internal affairs of China’s Hong Kong (as it habitually does with regard to China and numerous other countries) on December 15, the very next day the UK government announced the setting up of a so-called, “review of foreign financial interference in UK politics.”
Responding to the Jimmy Lai verdict, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“He has been targeted by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression. This was a politically motivated prosecution which I strongly condemn… I call again for Jimmy Lai’s immediate release.”
Yet it would surely strain credulity to imagine that, even a person of Cooper’s utter mediocrity, would, seeing as she was until recently the Home Secretary, (and even allowing for her predecessor as Foreign Secretary, the even more cretinous David Lammy now claiming as Justice Secretary not to be aware of the biggest hunger strike by political prisoners in UK jails since the Irish hunger strike of 1981), to be unaware of the fact that it is in Britain, not Hong Kong, that, over recent months, thousands of peaceful citizens, many of them in their 80s and 90s, many of them with disabilities, have been dragged away to be charged as terrorists for sitting peacefully to show their opposition to genocide by holding hand-written seven word placards.
So much for peacefully exercising the right to freedom of expression leading to politically motivated prosecution. Truly, the hypocrisy, dishonesty, double standards and sheer mendacity of Britain’s Labour government is beyond compare.
As if to underline the point, on the same day as Cooper was rehearsing her faux outrage on the floor of the House of Commons, the official spokesperson for Keir Starmer broadcast the Prime Minister’s demand for yet more restrictions to be placed on the democratic right to peacefully protest the genocide currently being faced by the people of Palestine. Employing typical double speak, he stated:
“Free speech is an important right in this country, but that can’t extend to inciting hatred or harassing others… In addition to the police using their existing powers more robustly, the home secretary is also looking at the cumulative effect of marches and protests… and that includes looking at marches that happen in the same place every time, where they happen repeatedly… Clearly the police also have existing powers and we expect them to use [them] more.”
The following articles were originally published on the website of the Chinese Embassy in the UK and by the Xinhua News Agency.
Ambassador Zheng Zeguang Lodges Solemn Representations over the UK’s Erroneous Statement on Hong Kong
December 15 (China Embassy UK) – On 15 December, Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang met with a senior official of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to lodge solemn representations over the UK side’s statement that made irresponsible remarks on the Hong Kong High Court’s guilty verdict in the Jimmy Lai case. He urged the UK to abandon its colonial mindset, immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs, stop meddling in China’s internal affairs, and stop making the case for anti-China rioters bent on destabilising Hong Kong.
Ambassador Zheng pointed out that the statement issued by the UK Foreign Secretary on 15 December contained irresponsible remarks on Jimmy Lai’s conviction and smeared the National Security Law for Hong Kong. This constitutes a gross interference in China’s internal affairs, tramples on the spirit of the rule of law, and seriously violates the basic norms governing international relations. China firmly opposes this and condemns it in the strongest terms.
Facts have fully proven that Jimmy Lai was the primary planner and participant in a series of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, a pawn of external anti-China forces, and the instigator behind the turbulence over the amendment bill in 2019. What he did was by no means “peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression”, as claimed by the UK side. Lai is a Chinese citizen, and China has never recognised dual nationality. Lai’s conduct seriously challenged the bottom line of One Country, Two Systems, gravely endangered national security, and severely undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity, stability, and the well-being of its citizens. Such serious offences deserve severe punishment under the law.
Ambassador Zheng stressed that safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests is the paramount principle of the One Country, Two Systems policy. The National Security Law for Hong Kong is the cornerstone for safeguarding national security. Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law, where laws must be observed and violations must be punished. The HKSAR’s handling of the Jimmy Lai case is in strict accordance with the law and is not open to question. The UK’s colonial rule over Hong Kong ended long ago, and the UK is in no position and has no right to point fingers at or interfere in Hong Kong affairs. Any attempt by the UK to interfere in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs will only further expose its malicious intent to destabilise Hong Kong, will only provoke society-wide indignation in Hong Kong, and will get nowhere. China urges the UK to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs and China’s internal affairs, stop making the case for anti-China rioters bent on destabilising Hong Kong, and stop going further down the wrong path.
The Chinese Embassy in the UK Issues Statement to Strongly Condemn the UK’s Interference in Hong Kong’s Judicial Affairs
December 15 (China Embassy UK) – On 15 December, the UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a statement, which made irresponsible remarks on the conviction of Jimmy Lai and smeared the National Security Law for Hong Kong. This blatantly interferes in China’s internal affairs and tramples on the rule of law, and seriously violates the basic norms governing international relations. We strongly oppose and condemn such an unjustified move by the UK side.
Extensive facts revealed during the trial of this case fully prove that Jimmy Lai was the primary planner and participant in a series of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, a pawn for external anti-China forces, and the behind-the-scenes instigator of the turbulence over the amendment bill in Hong Kong.
He publicly begged foreign countries to impose sanctions on China and the Hong Kong SAR, brazenly proclaimed “fighting for the US,” colluded with “Hong Kong independence” and “violent riots” organisations as well as foreign forces, abused media tools to incite hatred and intensify confrontation, and drummed up support for violent activities, in an attempt to destabilise Hong Kong and pursue a “colour revolution.” His crimes are numerous and substantiated by evidence.
Lai’s doing was by no means what the UK side claimed to be “peacefully” exercising his right to freedom of expression. His actions seriously challenged the One Country, Two Systems bottom line, gravely endangered national security, and severely undermined Hong Kong’s prosperity, stability, and the well-being of its citizens. Such serious crimes deserve severe punishment under the law.
Safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests is the highest principle of the One Country, Two Systems policy. The National Security Law is a necessary measure to protect national security. Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law, where laws must be observed and violations must be punished. The Hong Kong SAR has handled the case of Jimmy Lai in strict accordance with the law, upholding the authority and dignity of the rule of law and fulfilling its constitutional duty to safeguard national security, thereby earning broad recognition and support. The trial of the Jimmy Lai case has been conducted openly and transparently, with fair and impartial procedures. This is beyond any question or reproach.
Hong Kong has long returned to China and British colonial rule in Hong Kong has been put to an end long ago. Hong Kong-related affairs are purely China’s internal affairs. The UK is in no position and has no right to point fingers at or interfere in Hong Kong-related affairs. The UK side’s attempt to interfere in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs will only further expose its sinister motive to destabilise Hong Kong, will only arouse universal indignation within the Hong Kong society, and will get nowhere.
We urge the UK side to immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs and China’s internal affairs, stop making the case for anti-China rioters bent on destabilising Hong Kong, and stop going further down the wrong path.
External interference in Hong Kong’s judiciary doomed to fail: Commissioner’s Office of Chinese Foreign Ministry in HKSAR
HONG KONG, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — A spokesperson for the Commissioner’s Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday strongly denounced and firmly opposed smearing remarks about the verdict on Jimmy Lai’s case.
The spokesperson condemned blatant interference in and slanders against Hong Kong’s judiciary from Britain, Australia, the United States, Germany and the European Union, as well as certain politicians.
Lai’s case has nothing to do with press freedom, said the spokesperson. To attempt to whitewash Lai or interfere with judicial proceedings through exerting political pressure is to trample on the spirit of the rule of law.
Certain countries and politicians have long been vilifying the rule of law in Hong Kong under the pretexts of “human rights” and “freedom” in an attempt to destabilize Hong Kong, which is typical double standards, said the spokesperson.
The case is an internal matter of the HKSAR, said the spokesperson, urging relevant countries and politicians to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are China’s internal affairs.
Jimmy Lai found guilty of violating national security law
HONG KONG, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) — Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on Monday on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
The verdict was handed down by the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the national security case of Lai and three companies linked to the now-defunct Apple Daily.
The defendants include Lai, Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and Apple Daily Internet Limited, all facing charges of conspiracy to publish seditious materials and conspiracy to collude with external forces. Lai was also facing a separate charge of conspiring to collude with external forces.
The trial officially commenced on Dec. 18, 2023, and has been presided over by three judges appointed under the national security law in Hong Kong. The prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence on June 11, 2024, and on July 25, the court ruled that all charges were substantiated. Lai’s testimony began on Nov. 20, 2024, and ended in March 2025. Closing arguments began on Aug. 18 and were finalized on Aug. 28.
The three charges against Lai are all substantiated by evidence, the Hong Kong Police Force’s national security department told reporters on Monday, adding that judicial proceedings of the case involved the examination of over 2,220 exhibits.
The judiciary opened over 400 seats to the public at each court hearing during the trial to ensure transparency of the proceedings, said the department, adding that Lai has received proper medical care during the period.
