Jimmy Lai should be severely punished by law: spokesman

Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, should be severely punished by law, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday.

Lin made the statement in response to a media query about Jimmy Lai's case.

The High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday morning sentenced Jimmy Lai to 20 years in prison.

"First, I'd like to emphasize that Jimmy Lai is a Chinese citizen. As the principal architect and participant in a series of anti-China activities aimed at destabilizing Hong Kong, his actions have severely undermined the fundamental principles of One Country, Two Systems, gravely endangered national security, and significantly harmed Hong Kong's prosperity, stability, and the well-being of its residents. He should be severely punished by law. Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law. Judicial authorities in HKSAR fulfill their duties, safeguard the authority of the law and defend national security in accordance with the law. This is justified, legitimate, lawful and beyond reproach. The central government firmly supports the HKSAR in safeguarding national security and punishing crimes that endanger national security in accordance with the law," said Lin.

"Practice has proven that the better the Hong Kong national security law is implemented, the more stable and secure Hong Kong society becomes, the better the rights and freedoms of the vast majority of Hong Kong residents are safeguarded, the brighter Hong Kong's golden reputation shines, and the more steadily and sustainably the practice of One Country, Two Systems can proceed. The relevant judicial cases are purely internal affairs of the HKSAR. We urge relevant countries to respect China's sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law, refrain from making irresponsible remarks on the trials of judicial cases in the HKSAR, and not interfere in any form with Hong Kong's judicial proceedings," said the spokesman.

Jimmy Lai should be severely punished by law: spokesman

Jimmy Lai should be severely punished by law: spokesman

Jimmy Lai should be severely punished by law: spokesman

The first batch of artifacts for a grand ancient Americas exhibition in Shanghai arrived at the Shanghai Museum on People's Square on Saturday.

After a journey of more than 13,000 kilometers, 60 crates of artifacts were delivered to the museum for the upcoming "On Top of the World Tree: Ancient Civilizations of the Americas" exhibition, scheduled to open in July.

The total loan of artifacts for the exhibition approaches 3,000 pieces. The museum's director says holding an exhibition of this scale presents a challenge, but the team is experienced and prepared for all tasks.

"We have essentially less than a month left until the opening. With such a large number of artifacts and such tight installation time, while also ensuring absolute safety of the artifacts, all this is testing our entire team. Shanghai Museum has hosted major exhibitions like this before and we have accumulated rich experience, so we are very confident we can complete this arduous task of artifact transportation and installation," said Chu Xiaobo, curator of Shanghai Museum.

The second batch of artifacts is expected to arrive at the museum on Monday, and the uncrating and installation are set to begin on Thursday.

First batch of ancient American artifacts arrives in Shanghai for grand exhibition