The Chinese Communist Party vehemently defended the sentencing of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai, a Christian and staunch anti-communist, to 20 years in prison on Monday by rolling out a “white paper” explaining the need for the Party to crush voices championing freedom.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry also condemned foreign governments on Tuesday that had spoken out to lament the sentence – which for Lai, at 78 years old, will effectively be a life sentence if served fully. The Foreign Ministry referred to Lai as the “principal mastermind and perpetrator” of the 2019 protests in Hong Kong opposing Beijing’s violations of “One Country, Two Systems,” the longstanding policy that had allowed Hong Kong to exist in relative freedom since being handed over by the British in 1997. The protests were the largest in the history of the territory, at one point attracting 2 million of Hong Kong’s 7 million people to one peaceful assembly against communism. Lai regularly attended these protests and his newspaper, Apple Daily, supported pro-freedom voices.
The Chinese Communist Party violently subdued the protests and effectively ended “One Country, Two Systems” with the passage of a “national security law” in 2020 that effectively ended freedom of expression for Hong Kong. Lai was among the first to be arrested for breaking the “national security law” in 2020 and was found guilty in December 2025. Sentencing occurred on Monday, condemning him to 20 years in prison for opposing communism.
On Tuesday, China’s federal-level government propaganda unit, the State Council Information Office (SCIO), published a white paper justifying the abuses of freedoms in Hong Kong titled “Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems.” The state newspaper Global Times celebrated the paper as justifying Lai’s arrest and the abuses against Hongkongers following the protests in general, citing John Lee, the chief executive of Hong Kong.
“The white paper delivers a stern warning to traitors who endanger national security, Lee said,” according to the Times. “Referring to the verdict in Jimmy Lai’s case, Lee noted that it shows Lai’s crimes were numerous and egregious, that he seriously harmed the interests of the HKSAR [Hong Kong] and the country, and that he shamelessly acted as a pawn of external forces.”
Lee also reportedly claimed that “risks still exist” of pro-freedom voices being heard “and constant vigilance is required.”
The Global Times cited one of its usual regime-approved “experts,” a consultant identified as Lau Siu-kai, as stating that the conviction of Jimmy Lai was not just a warning to Hongkongers, but “a warning and deterrent to the US and Western forces.”
Multiple governments around the world, including America’s, condemned the conviction. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement on Monday condemning the “unjust and tragic conclusion” to Lai’s legal woes and urging China to grant Lai humanitarian parole given his health and advanced age.
“It shows the world that Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, casting aside the international commitments Beijing made in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration,” Rubio wrote. “After enduring a trial lasting two years, and detention in prison for more than five, Mr. Lai and his family have suffered enough.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded to that pressure on Tuesday, condemning Rubio and others appealing for Lai’s rights.
“Certain countries and institutions used the judicial case to make malicious smears against Hong Kong and its rule of law, and interfered in China’s internal affair,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters during a regular briefing. “China firmly opposes it and has lodged serious protests with those countries and institutions.”
Lin referred to Lai as the “principal mastermind and perpetrator behind the series of riots” and said his sentencing was “justified and beyond reproach.”
“To abide by the law and bring lawbreakers to justice is a basic principle,” he railed. “No one should be allowed to use ‘democracy’ and ‘freedom’ as a pretext to engage in unlawful and criminal activities and escape justice.”
Lin, the spokesman, similarly celebrated the imprisonment of Lai on Monday when asked about the 20-year sentence.
“Facts have proven that when the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong is implemented well, there is greater assurance for security and stability in Hong Kong, for the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents, for Hong Kong’s reputation, and for the steady and sustained implementation of One Country, Two Systems,” he said on Monday, offering no “facts” to “prove” his case.
Lin also emphasized Lai’s status as a “Chinese national,” declaring his imprisonment “purely an internal affair.” Lai is a dual Chinese-British citizen, a fact Beijing routinely ignores. The British government under leftist Prime Minister Keir Starmer has offered some token words lamenting Lai’s arrest but taken no publicly known material actions to free him.
“For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence. I remain deeply concerned for Mr. Lai’s health, and I again call on the Hong Kong authorities to end his appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family,” British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Monday.
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