Earlier today, the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region fired back at editorials by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the Washington Post. Both letters sharply criticized the coverage of Jimmy Lai's conviction, calling the pieces one-sided and misleading. 🚀
In its letter to the WSJ editorial board, the office slammed the paper's December 15 editorial as 'absurd' and 'a show editorial'. It accused the WSJ of praising Lai as 'a newspaper owner passionate about freedom' while downplaying his calls for foreign sanctions and his declaration to 'fight for America'. Despite a trial lasting over 150 days with an 855-page verdict, the WSJ insisted there was 'no serious evidence'.
When the WSJ couldn't fault the judicial process, it urged U.S. and U.K. leaders to pressure the Chinese mainland, claiming that 'freeing Jimmy Lai would be a favor to Beijing'. The letter called this demand 'an insult to the rule of law and to diplomacy', adding that 'the red line of national security is not up for challenge'. ⚖️
In a separate letter to the Washington Post, the office described its editorial as a 'failed preview' that left out Lai's alleged collusion with external forces. It pointed to 156 days of open hearings, testimony from 14 witnesses, 2,220 pieces of evidence, and over 80,000 pages of documents, arguing that Lai's calls for foreign sanctions and his 'fight for America' statement went beyond journalism. 'Acts that undermine national security are most likely criminal,' the letter stated.
The office also rebuffed concerns about Lai's health and solitary confinement, calling these 'reckless fabrications'. It highlighted that Lai received timely and comprehensive medical care, confirmed by his own defense lawyer in court. The letters wrapped up by urging an end to these 'sham editorials', stressing that when freedom is misused as a dagger, the law must stand as a shield. 🔒
Reference(s):
China slams Jimmy Lai editorials in letters to WSJ, Washington Post
cgtn.com
