Hong Kong Security Chief rebuts WSJ op-ed on Jimmy Lai property forfeiture

Hong Kong's Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung has written to The Wall Street Journal to rebut an opinion piece on the forfeiture of media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai's assets, saying the commentary repeated "unfounded claims" and stressing that any forfeiture requires a court order under Hong Kong law. Here is the full text of the letter:

Dear Editor,

In the opinion piece, "Now China Is Taking Jimmy Lai's Property" (April 16), the authors resort to their old unfounded claims that have been repeatedly refuted and exposed as fake news, aimed at undermining China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

I reiterate that Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law. Lai Chee-ying was convicted of offences endangering national security after a fair, impartial and open trial. The court's verdict and sentence were published with detailed reasons and supported by overwhelming evidence, for which Lai chose not to appeal.

Under the law, the court may order the forfeiture of property upon application by the Secretary for Justice only if it is satisfied that the property to be forfeited meets relevant conditions. Applying to the court for a forfeiture order is one of the effective means to combat serious crimes and protect the public interest, and laws and mechanisms for forfeiture of offence-related property are commonly found around the world. The law in the United States provides that in general, for individuals involved in terrorist activities, all of their property is subject to forfeiture.

Regarding the repeated attempts to smear Hong Kong, I refer readers to the facts: In the Fraser Institute's annual report in 2025, Hong Kong has once again been ranked as the world's freest economy; Hong Kong continues to rank among the top three international financial centres alongside New York and London; the business sentiment survey conducted by American Chamber of Commerce this year showed that 94% of its member respondents have confidence in Hong Kong's rule of law.

Amid geopolitical conflicts and uncertainties, these facts speak volumes for Hong Kong's attractiveness as a safe haven for businesses and investors.

Tang Ping-keung

Secretary for Security

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Secretary for Security Mr. Tang Ping-keung has written to The New York Times, strongly condemning an article that made fact-distorting and unfounded accusations against the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL) and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO).

The Security Bureau, Photo by Bastille Post

In his letter, Tang pointed out that safeguarding national security is a top priority of every country, including both China and the U.S. With the numerous and ever-increasing pieces of national security legislation in the U.S., The New York Times' irresponsible remarks about the HKNSL and the SNSO are hypocritical.

He emphasized that the law enforcement action reported in the article is entirely legitimate, based on evidence and strictly in accordance with the law, paying no regard to the arrestee’s political stance, background, or occupation. The article, he said, has conflated criminal acts endangering national security with lawful exercise of press freedom. This case has nothing to do with press freedom.

Secretary for Security Mr. Tang Ping-keung, Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

The New York Times article reported on Hong Kong police’s recent arrest of individuals suspected of spreading false information for seditious acts linked to anti-government protests in Hong Kong.