A man posts a couplet reading "The Savior has come" outside a church to celebrate Christmas on December 24, 2019 in a village in Southwest China's Yunnan Province. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Wang Yi, a Chinese pastor of an illegal church in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, was sentenced to nine years in prison for subversion of state power and illegal business operations. Certain Western media outlets reacted strongly to the case. Some senior US officials meddled in China's internal affairs and even asked for the immediate release of Wang, alleging that the accusations against Wang were trumped up.  

It is easy to tell that Wang is not an ordinary pastor through the coverage of Western media without extra information. Westerners praised him as a dissident and rights activist. However, what Wang did in China not only includes founding an illegal church, but also using it to cover up his anti-government activities. 

Objectively speaking, ordinary Chinese people can understand what Wang did is against the law. It seems that Wang is a bit conceited, or maybe he has already prepared to face the law. There are some dissidents in China who are brainwashed by Western values. They do not accept China's political and legal systems at all. At the same time, they seem to feel emboldened with the support of some Western elements. Thus, it is not surprising that Wang was sentenced to jail for having violated Chinese law. 

As is known to all, freedom of religious belief is fully guaranteed in China. However, just like the two sides of a coin, freedom of religious belief and religious activities must be conducted in accordance with Chinese law. Any establishment of religious group in China needs to be authorized and religious organizations cannot engage in political activities prohibited in the secular world. Those who end up in prison are the ones who break the law. 

According to Western media reports, Wang had been operating a church not authorized by the Chinese government. The illegal activities that were carried out by him had been standing out among illegal religious groups. 

If a person in the US has been continuously instigating people to confront the US Constitution by words and actions, he will face the force of law. Wherever a person lives, he or she has to abide by the law of the land. Using US judicial and value system to defend violations of Chinese law will only lead to a dead end. 

Some forces in the US and the West are hoping to deal a blow to China. They usually do not have the means to mobilize the masses, therefore, utilizing a few Chinese dissidents as a leverage has become a tactic. Every once in a while these forces would eulogize a Chinese dissident, labeling the conflicts in China as a struggle for human rights. Sadly, such activity could only make those in US happy while leading to disgust in Chinese society. 

The more such frictions emerge, the more the Chinese believe that the US and Western forces have no interest in Chinese people's rights but are bent on stirring up trouble for China. 

A few Chinese dissidents still believe the US and the West are lighting a fire for them. In fact, they are no more than being used as firewood.