China expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to what it described as smears and slanders targeting Hong Kong’s judicial system, following international criticism of the guilty verdict handed down to media tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai on Monday (15 December).
China’s foreign ministry did not name any countries but urged relevant nations to respect China’s sovereignty and Hong Kong’s legal system.
Spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters, “We urge the relevant countries to not make irresponsible remarks on the trial of judicial cases in Hong Kong and not to interfere in Hong Kong’s judiciary or China’s internal affairs in any form.”
Hong Kong’s High Court on Monday found Lai guilty of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious material in the city’s highest-profile trial under a China-imposed national security law, a ruling that could see the 78-year-old jailed for life.
“There is no doubt that Lai had harboured his resentment and hatred of China for many of his adult years,” Judge Esther Toh told a packed courtroom.
Judges Alex Lee and Susana D’Almada Remedios also sat on the panel. Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, wore a pale green jumper and grey jacket, sitting with his arms folded.
The landmark case has intensified scrutiny over Hong Kong’s judicial independence amid a years-long crackdown on political dissent following the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Supporters view Lai as a champion of press freedom, while Beijing regards him as a key figure behind the protests and a conspirator advocating for U.S. sanctions against Hong Kong and the mainland.
He's already spent nearly five years in detention facing multiple legal proceedings under the sweeping national security law. A pre-sentencing hearing is scheduled for 12 January, where Lai may request leniency. His lawyer, Steven Kwan, said the decision to appeal would follow the sentencing.
Hong Kong leader John Lee and national security police chief Steve Li expressed support for the verdict.
“The Judiciary is confident and unafraid of any intimidation and firmly discharges its responsibility to safeguard national security,” Lee said.
International criticism
Rights groups and foreign governments have criticised the verdict. The UK called Lai’s prosecution politically motivated and demanded his immediate release. The U.S. has repeatedly raised his case with Chinese authorities, including President Donald Trump’s discussion with his counterpart Xi Jinping in October.
Beh Lih Yi, Asia-Pacific director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, described the verdict as a “sham conviction” and “a disgraceful act of persecution,” saying Lai’s only crime was defending democracy through journalism.
Amnesty International and other pro-democracy activists also condemned the outcome.
China defends verdict
Chinese and Hong Kong officials have maintained that Lai received a fair trial, arguing that the national security law applies equally to all and that freedoms are not absolute when national security is at stake.
China’s national security office in Hong Kong described Lai as a “pawn of external anti-China forces” seeking to instigate a “colour revolution” in the city.
Lai’s family say his health has deteriorated after more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement, suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart palpitations.
The case marks a pivotal moment in Hong Kong’s post-protest era, with the city’s largest opposition party, the Democratic Party, disbanding under pressure from Beijing, signalling the near disappearance of organised democratic opposition.
The verdict comes amid heightened sensitivity in Hong Kong, still reeling from a deadly fire last month that claimed at least 160 lives. Authorities have warned against any attempts to use the tragedy to incite unrest or revive pro-democracy protests.
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and st...
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to sec...
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion w...
Azerbaijan said on Wednesday that it had accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to join his 'Board of Peace' for Gaza....
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit ini...
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and state-run PDVSA documents show, with shipments accelerating after Washington eased its blockade — but not enough for PDVSA to fully reverse output cuts.
Qarabağ claimed a late 3–2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night, scoring deep into stoppage time to secure a dramatic home win in Baku.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan will interconnect their energy systems, enabling mutual electricity imports and exports as part of a wider regional transit initiative, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
Several locally-developed instant messaging applications were reportedly restored in Iran on Tuesday (20 January), partially easing communications restrictions imposed after recent unrest.
There was a common theme in speeches at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday (20 January). China’s Vice-Premier, He Lifeng, warned that "tariffs and trade wars have no winners," while France's Emmanuel Macron, labelled "endless accumulation of new tariffs" from the U.S. "fundamentally unacceptable."
Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, closed on Tuesday (20 January) after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would “work something out” with NATO allies on Tuesday, defending his approach to the alliance while renewing his push for U.S. control of Greenland amid rising tensions with Europe.
Venezuela’s oil exports under a flagship $2bn supply deal with the U.S. reached around 7.8 million barrels on Wednesday, vessel-tracking data and state-run PDVSA documents show, with shipments accelerating after Washington eased its blockade — but not enough for PDVSA to fully reverse output cuts.
Azerbaijan’s State Oil Fund, State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ), has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement worth up to $1.4 billion with Brookfield Asset Management on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, officials said.
A senior official at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said on Wednesday that roughly 6% of U.S. air travellers are not presenting identification that meets stricter federal standards, as the agency prepares to start charging passengers without enhanced ID a $45 fee from 1 February.
The United States is placing renewed emphasis on regional partnerships that offer predictability, security cooperation and economic continuity as instability deepens across the Middle East and parts of Eurasia
A fire alarm prompted the partial evacuation of the Davos Congress Centre on Wednesday evening while Donald Trump was inside the building attending the World Economic Forum, Swiss authorities said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment