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.