The Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Tuesday rejected unwarranted comments by certain Western politicians about the SAR’s rule of law and their clamor for the release of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, the founder of the now-defunct tabloid Apple Daily.

Expressing support for the court’s sentencing Lai to 20 years’ imprisonment the previous day, a spokesperson for the office pointed out that officials and politicians from countries and organizations such as the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union slandered the HKSAR’s rule of law and demanded the release of Lai and the imposition of sanctions on the HKSAR.

Calling Lai “the main planner and participant in a series of anti-China activities, the spokesperson said extensive evidence showed that he has long colluded with external forces, incited hatred and begged foreign forces to impose sanctions on the nation and the HKSAR.

“His actions severely undermined the bottom line of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle, endangered national security, and damaged Hong Kong's prosperity and the well-being of residents. He should be severely punished by law,” said the spokesperson.

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The SAR is governed by the rule of law and the city’s court convicted Lai based on facts and law, confirming he is the mastermind of the crimes in question, the spokesperson pointed out.

“The courts imposed a fair sentence in accordance with the severity of his crimes, upholding the authority of the law and safeguarding national security. This is reasonable, justifiable, and lawful, and brooks no argument.”

The HKSAR National Security Law has solidified the foundation for the steady and long-term implementation of “one country, two systems”, according to the office.

“No matter how external forces smear, clamor, or exert pressure on the HKSAR, they cannot change our will to fully, accurately, and unswervingly implement ‘one country, two systems’, nor can they stop the trend of the city's transformation from governance to prosperity,” the spokesperson said.

Reiterating that Lai’s case is an internal affair of the HKSAR, the spokesperson urged relevant countries to respect China’s sovereignty and the rule of law in the SAR and stop making irresponsible remarks about the case and interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs in any form.