Officials from the central government have expressed their support for the Hong Kong Judiciary’s sentencing of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying on Monday, noting that it proves the SAR’s sanctity of judicial fairness and safeguards national security.

Three national security judges — Esther Toh Lye-ping, D’Almada Remedios, and Alex Lee Wan-tang — from the Hong Kong High Court on Monday sentenced Lai to 20 years in prison, following his December conviction on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.

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A spokesperson for the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region said the sentencing fully demonstrates judicial fairness and the authority of the rule of law.

The 855-page verdict handed down by the judicial authorities of the Hong Kong SAR clearly identifies Lai as the “mastermind” of relevant anti-China groups. The evidence is irrefutable and his crimes are grave, the spokesperson said.

During the trial, the HKSAR government unwaveringly safeguarded national security and firmly rebutted external interference and attacks, upholding the spirit of the rule of law and the integrity of justice, the spokesperson said.

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Some nations such as the United States and the United Kingdom, the spokesperson said, ignored basic norms of international relations and the irrefutable evidence against Lai during the trial and adjudication of the case.

They blatantly supported and offered protection to Lai, and crudely intervened in China's internal affairs and the Hong Kong SAR's Judiciary. The despicable tricks of external and anti-China forces have proved useless, and have fully exposed their "double standards", the spokesperson added.

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In a separate statement, a spokesperson for the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR said that the sentencing underscores the authority of national security, and has safeguarded the spirit of the rule of law in Hong Kong.

The spokesperson stressed that upholding national sovereignty, security, and development interests is the paramount rule under “one country, two systems”, and the lawful protection of national security and the stringent punishment of criminal acts that endanger national safety are incumbent responsibilities of any nation or region in the world.

The case proceedings clearly demonstrated that Lai’s actions posed a severe threat to national security, challenged the constitutional order of the HKSAR, and significantly undermined the prosperity, stability, and well-being of Hong Kong residents, the spokesperson added.