China rebukes UK for 'interfering' in Hong Kong case

The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom said on Monday that remarks by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on the conviction of Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, have "blatantly interfered" in China's internal affairs, underscoring that the UK is in "no position" to pass judgment and has "no right" to do so.

"We strongly oppose and condemn such an unjustified move by the UK side," the embassy said in its statement. "Hong Kong has long returned to China, and British colonial rule in Hong Kong has been put to an end long ago. Hong Kong-related affairs are purely China's internal affairs. The UK is in no position and has no right to point fingers at or interfere in Hong Kong-related affairs."

Lai was convicted on Monday on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The verdict was handed down by the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the national security case of Lai and three companies linked to the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper founded by Lai.

The three charges against Lai are all substantiated by evidence, the Hong Kong Police Force's National Security Department said on Monday, adding that judicial proceedings of the case involved the examination of more than 2,220 exhibits, Xinhua News Agency reported.

"Lai's doing was by no means what the UK side claimed to be 'peacefully' exercising his right to freedom of expression," the embassy said. "He publicly begged foreign countries to impose sanctions on China and the Hong Kong SAR, brazenly proclaimed (to be) 'fighting for the United States', colluded with 'Hong Kong independence' and 'violent riots' organizations, as well as foreign forces…His crimes are numerous and substantiated by evidence."

Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law, and the trial of the Lai case has also been conducted "openly and transparently" in strict accordance with the law, the embassy noted. "This is beyond any question or reproach."

The embassy urged the UK side to stop "making the case" for anti-China rioters bent on destabilizing Hong Kong.

The highest principle of the "one country, two systems" policy is safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, the embassy pointed out.

zhengwanyin@mail.chinadailyuk.com