The Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region issued sharp rebuttals to the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post this week, condemning their editorials on the high-profile trial of media figure Jimmy Lai. The office accused both publications of distorting facts and undermining Hong Kong's judicial integrity.
In a letter to the WSJ, officials criticized the editorial's characterization of Lai's trial as a "show trial" and its portrayal of Lai as a champion of press freedom. The response emphasized that Lai's collusion with external forces to advocate foreign sanctions against China constituted a clear breach of national security laws. "The 855-page verdict, based on 2,220 pieces of evidence and 14 prosecution witnesses, leaves no room for doubt about the trial's rigor," the letter stated.
The office separately addressed The Washington Post, accusing its editorial of omitting critical details about Lai's actions while amplifying unverified claims about his detention conditions. It reiterated that Lai received proper medical care and noted his defense lawyer had confirmed his health in court proceedings.
Both responses underscored China's stance that national security is non-negotiable. "When freedom is abused as a dagger, the law must be upheld as a shield," the letters concluded, framing the issue as a matter of legal principle rather than political debate.
