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Amid cheers for Jimmy Lai's arrest in China, Western media is telling a different story: the detention is deliberately interpreted into Beijing's "suppression on democracy and press freedom." Anti-China hawks never waste opportunities in discrediting China. From Dalai Lama, to Liu Xiaobo, to Jimmy Lai, they have been adept at painting those putting China's core interests in jeopardy as "heroes" and thus China's legislative moves on them as "crackdowns" on freedom.

As the founder of Apple Daily, Lai has been arrested multiple times on suspicion of clashing with the police, intimating journalists and participating in an illegal gathering. This time, the media mogul is detained on allegations of collusion with foreign forces.

It's no secret that Lai was a frequent visitor to Washington. The so-called "hero" had appealed for support from American senior officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on several occasions, and even blatantly asked for CIA's intervention into China's domestic affairs.

No sovereign state can tolerate such provocations, neither does China. The arrest of Lai is legitimate and has nothing to make a fuss about. Discrediting China's justified attempt to safeguard national security, Western countries have enacted several acts including the USA Patriot Act and the National Security Act of the United States to punish those colluding with foreign forces.

If an American masterminds illegal assemblies on the U.S.'s soil, and even called for foreign forces to intervene into American internal affairs, he/she would be immediately arrested. But interestingly, when it comes to China, all the rules are turned upside down: Lai is a "hero" for all his attempts to split the country and the legitimate punishments on him are interpreted into "suppressions" over dissidents.

These inflammatory reports are more perilous than Lai. Certain Westerners are skilled at using such tactics to brainwash simple-minded young people. Don't forget it is the shouts for "democracy" that eventually turned Hong Kong, previously a highly civilized society, into an abyss of misery. In Western media's coverage, illegal parades, vandalism, and setting a pedestrian on fire is "democracy," while attempts to protect Hong Kong residents' right to normal life is "crackdowns on democracy."

This explains the months-long violence in Hong Kong – inflammatory remarks on "democracy" constantly fueled their enthusiasm for "democratic" fights. Now, the West is using the same old trick again to whitewash separatists. This is why the national security law is introduced and passed in the first place.

The more aggressive the Western media is against China's legitimate move on separatists, the more urgent the need to implement the national security law for Hong Kong. After all, it is the legal loophole that is blamed for Western intervention. Lai's arrest is China's reaction to collusion with external power, and will help deter further provocations on China's core interests.

The West's anti-China rhetoric may last for some time. This is no strange. But as times passes by, Hong Kong people have the wisdom to distinguish national security from the West-hyped "democracy." The public's attitude to Lai is explanatory. As the highest-profile arrest under the newly passed national security law, Lai is believed to face heavy penalties. Notorious as a modern traitor, Lai's detention is cheered among Chinese netizens.

It's never too late for justice. It's never too late to expose Western lies.

(Script writer: Liu Jianxi)

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