Beijing dismisses foreign condemnation of Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai’s 20-year jail term, calling the ruling legal and just.
BEIJING: China has rejected international criticism of the 20-year prison sentence given to Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai.
Foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Beijing had lodged “solemn representations” with countries that condemned the ruling.
Countries including the United States, Britain and Australia have spoken out against Monday’s sentence.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it “unjust and tragic”.
The European Union said it “deplores” the 78-year-old’s sentencing and called for his immediate release.
Britain vowed to rapidly engage further on his case.
Lin said certain countries had used the judicial case to “maliciously smear Hong Kong”.
He stated the ruling was “based on facts and law, is legal, just and beyond reproach”.
Beijing urged relevant parties to immediately cease meddling in Hong Kong matters and China’s internal affairs.
Lai, a British citizen and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, was found guilty in December of collusion with foreign countries.
The charges included urging foreign nations to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and publishing seditious articles.
His sentence is the harshest yet under Hong Kong’s national security law.
Beijing imposed the law in 2020 after major pro-democracy protests in the former British colony.
