The verdict was welcomed in the city and, as expected, prompted another round of outcries from some Western countries. As Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I feel obliged to set the record straight and reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law.

First, why was Lai convicted? Putting on a thin veneer of journalistic professionalism, he deeply involved himself in and even masterminded a series of anti-China incidents, as proved by the evidence presented during the trial.

Acting as a proxy for external anti-China forces, Lai abused his media influence to incite social hatred and confrontation, actively promoted violent unrest and played a central role behind the 2019 “black violence” in Hong Kong.