The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive John Lee speaks with reporters in Beijing on December 16, 2025. Photo: Chen Qingqing/GT

Hong Kong's chief executive, some overseas Chinese embassies, and the central government's authorities in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) refuted comments by some Western countries and media that have distorted the judiciary proceedings of Jimmy Lai. 

When talked about the conviction of Lai, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive John Lee told reporters on Tuesday evening in Beijing that Lai's acts that contravened the National Security Law for Hong Kong led to his conviction by the court based on evidence and legal principles.

"Some organizations, particularly foreign media organizations, deliberately mislead the public and deliberately whitewash Lai's criminal acts under the guise of him being a so-called media tycoon," Lee said. 

He noted that the objective of these organizations is to obscure Lai's shameless conduct, and subversive actions.

Following the conviction of Lai, some Western media published articles, distorting the judgement and smearing the National Security Law for Hong Kong. 

The Commissioner's Office of the China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent separate letters on Tuesday to two major US media outlets - the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post - rebutting their editorials on the conviction.

After more than 150 days of hearings and an 855-page judgment, your newspaper still insists that there is "no serious evidence." Such an editorial is nothing but a "phony editorial," the spokesperson from the office said. 

Chinese Ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang met with a senior official of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on Monday local time to lodge solemn representations over the UK side's statement that made irresponsible remarks on the Hong Kong High Court's verdict in the Jimmy Lai case, according to a statement from the Chinese Embassy in the UK.

The representation was made after UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper openly commented on the conviction of Lai and smeared the National Security Law for Hong Kong. "The UK condemns the politically motivated prosecution of Jimmy Lai that has resulted in today's guilty verdict," Cooper claimed in a statement.

Zheng urged the UK to abandon its colonial mindset, immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong's judicial affairs, stop meddling in China's internal affairs, and stop making the case for anti-China rioters bent on destabilizing Hong Kong.

The HKSAR government also expressed late Monday evening strong dissatisfaction with and opposition to the US and Western countries, anti-China media, organizations and politicians for their malicious attacks, false statements, and smears against the HKSAR, following the Hong Kong High Court's conviction judgment in Jimmy Lai's case, which was made strictly in accordance with the law and evidence. 

The Chinese Embassy in Canada voiced strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition on Monday local time toward the Canadian side that has made unwarranted remarks about the conviction in the Jimmy Lai case. 

The embassy condemned the blatant interference in China's internal affairs, which severely violates the basic principles of international relations, according to a statement of the embassy.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the EU also responded to a statement from the European External Action Service on the verdict in the Jimmy Lai case, saying that the European side's statement openly smears and discredits Hong Kong's judiciary and interferes in China's internal affairs. "China has lodged solemn representations with the EU, expressing strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition."

Some international organizations, in addition to countries like the UK, Germany and the US, openly made remarks on the conviction of Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, who was found guilty on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. They also smeared the National Security Law for Hong Kong. 

These biased statements and malicious smears from external forces precisely reflect that the national security risks we face are real. External forces showed no respect in the HKSAR court's independent judgment of the case, which had been made on the basis of facts and evidence, the HKSAR government's spokesperson said.

Dozens of lawmakers of Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) went to the US Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau on Tuesday to petition and strongly condemn the US for its unwarranted interference in the Jimmy Lai case. 

Hong Kong Legislative Council member Nixie Lam Lam, who participated in the petition, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Jimmy Lai leveraged political opportunities for personal gain. 

"After the 2014 illegal 'Occupy Central' movement and during the social unrest in 2019, his newspaper became a propaganda machine for anti-China and destabilizing activities in Hong Kong, wantonly spreading distorted fake news, inciting social division, and glorifying violence," Lam said. 

"The so-called 'defender of freedom' is merely a politically styled image created by foreign politicians. Hong Kong people are well aware of his ugly true face," Lam said.