Chinese president Xi Jinping has expressed strong support for the jailing of British media tycoon Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong, just weeks before Sir Keir Starmer is due to travel to Beijing for an important trade visit.
Mr Xi gave his endorsement for Lai’s conviction during a meeting with Hong Kong chief executive John Lee in Beijing.
It comes as Mr Xi prepares to host UK prime minister Keir Starmer, who is under intensifying pressure to demand Lai’s release.
Lai’s conviction marks the culmination of a five-year legal saga for the 78-year-old pro-democracy campaigner and media mogul who was found guilty of colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong’s national security law.
Lai, founder of the now-shuttered newspaper Apple Daily, is set to be sentenced later in January, coinciding with Mr Starmer’s scheduled visit to Beijing between 29 and 31 January.
“President Xi heard about what we did, and he affirmed his strong recognition of our efforts,” Mr Lee said. “He also confirmed his strong support for both the government and the judiciary to uphold the duty to protect national security.”
The state-run Xinhua News Agency also reported Mr Xi’s reaction to Lai’s conviction, quoting the president as telling Mr Lee: “The government has resolutely safeguarded national sovereignty, security, and development interests.”
During their meeting, Mr Xi asked Mr Lee to “proactively align” Hong Kong with China’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, an economic blueprint set by the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party for the coming years.
Lai’s trial was closely watched abroad and his conviction has been met with intense criticism by Western governments and rights groups who called it “politically motivated” and “a disgraceful act of persecution”.
Reactions to the judgement included the British government summoning China’s ambassador to lodge a protest and US president Donald Trump expressing sorrow after saying he had spoke to the Chinese leader about the case.
Mr Lee on Wednesday said some foreign media outlets had “misled” the public in their reporting of the Lai conviction.
“Some organisations, particularly foreign media organisations, deliberately misled the public, deliberately whitewash the criminal act of Lai,” Mr Lee told reporters.
“These organisations’ objective is to obscure Lai’s shameless acts and subversive action, as an agent of external forces, to infiltrate and brainwash young people.”
The annual meeting between Mr Lee and Mr Xi came in a year that saw Hong Kong suffer the worst fire in decades at a housing complex on 26 November, killing 160 people and sparking angry public reactions.
Mr Lee said he briefed Mr Xi about the handling of the Tai Po fire and promised to pursue accountability via an independent judge-led review committee.
“The serious fire in Tai Po is heartbreaking. I express my deep mourning to the deceased and the firefighter who died on duty, and extend condolences to the families of the victims and those affected,” Mr Xi reportedly said.
