Jimmy Lai should be severely punished by law: spokesman

China

Jimmy Lai should be severely punished by law: spokesman

2026-02-09 16:35 Last Updated At：21:47

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.

Foreign diplomatic envoys visit Hainan

A delegation of foreign diplomatic envoys visited south China's Hainan from Wednesday to Saturday, learning about the province's rapid development and exploring potential areas of cooperation.

The trip, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, brought together over 30 ambassadors, chargés d'affaires, representatives of international organizations, and senior diplomats from countries including Kenya, Serbia, Spain and Vietnam.

In Sanya's Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City, the delegates gained insights into China's independent innovation in the seed industry and the country's agricultural technological transformation in response to climate change.

"We can invite a lot of the persons from this institute to come to Dominica to teach us some of the advanced technologies and the practices that we should employ in agriculture," said Martin Charles, Dominica's Ambassador to China.

The delegates also toured the innovative drug and medical device exhibition, as well as health and wellness institutions in the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone.

Hailed as China's sole "medical special zone", the pilot zone is home to over 30 top-tier domestic and international medical institutions.

"The medical advances are the ones that have struck me most for the moment. There are so many fields where we can cooperate," said Javier Garcia-Larrache, Spain's charge d'affaires ad interim in China.

The delegates also visited villages to experience folk culture, including Li brocade from the Li ethnic group, traditional Chinese medicine sachets, and bamboo pole dances, immersing themselves in the province's rich and vibrant local cultures.