China deplores slander against Hong Kong's judiciary after verdict on Jimmy Lai

China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to certain countries' blatant slander and smear against Hong Kong's judiciary, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday.

Guo made the remarks at a regular news briefing when asked to comment on the verdict against Jimmy Lai by the High Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), amid claims from the UK and other countries that Hong Kong's judicial and press freedoms have been undermined.

Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on Monday of two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and one charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.

Guo said Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, and the Central Government firmly supports the HKSAR in safeguarding national security and punishing crimes that endanger national security in accordance with the law.

Guo stated that the HKSAR's judicial organs perform their duties in accordance with the law and protect national security, adding that such actions are reasonable, justified and lawful. 

"The relevant judicial cases are purely the HKSAR's internal affairs," the spokesperson said.

Guo urged certain countries to respect China's sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, refrain from making irresponsible remarks about the handling of judicial cases in the HKSAR, and stop interfering in Hong Kong's judicial system and China's internal affairs in any form.