'Press freedom' is not a free pass on national security

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China's just-released white paper "Hong Kong: Safeguarding China's National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems" makes clear that safeguarding national security in Hong Kong is "an unrelenting fight" for the central government, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and the people of Hong Kong. This fight, essential for protecting Hong Kong's long-term stability and prosperity, is a continuous and legitimate duty of any sovereign state.

Yet, against this backdrop of lawful governance, old noises from some Western politicians and media outlets have surfaced again over the judicial proceedings concerning Jimmy Lai. Their cries for Hong Kong to "restore press freedom" are not merely misinformed; they are a glaring testament to the West's profound hypocrisy and entrenched double standards on matters of national security, for the Jimmy Lai case has never been about press freedom. It is, pure and simple, a national security case.

To pretend otherwise is to ignore the overwhelming evidence of Lai's deliberate, sustained efforts to subvert Hong Kong's social order and endanger national security.

First, his conduct throughout the 2019 Hong Kong riots exposed his seditious intent. Far from exercising legitimate journalism, Lai used his media platform to systematically erode public trust in Hong Kong's governing and judicial institutions, amplify radical narratives, and incite violent, unlawful behavior. He cheered on rioters, legitimized vandalism and turned his outlet into a megaphone for chaos. His words and deeds were not editorial opinion; they were calculated acts to destabilize Hong Kong, paralyze its governance, and tear apart the social fabric that underpins its prosperity.

Second, as a Chinese citizen, Jimmy Lai betrayed his country by colluding extensively with foreign politicians and organizations to undermine China's national security. He actively solicited foreign intervention, lobbied for hostile sanctions against the Central Government of China and the Hong Kong SAR Government, and served as a bridge for external forces to meddle in China's internal affairs.

By aligning himself with anti-China political circles and accepting their direction and support, he turned himself into a tool for foreign interference, posing a direct and persistent threat to China's sovereignty, security, and development interests. No sovereign state would tolerate a citizen conspiring with foreign powers to harm its national security—and China is no exception.

Fundamentally, Hong Kong is China’s Hong Kong. Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs, governed by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the Basic Law and the National Security Law for Hong Kong. The trial of Jimmy Lai follows due process, respects judicial independence, and upholds the rule of law – principles the West claims to champion, yet conveniently abandons when it suits their geopolitical agenda.

Some U.S. politicians claim Lai's sentencing is unjust. Imagine if a U.S. citizen were to actively lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on Washington during a period of civil unrest. Would the matter be framed as a press freedom issue? It is for sure that it would be investigated as a question of national loyalty and security. This is where the West’s hypocrisy becomes most visible. 

In essence, the West's double standard is not about defending press freedom or human rights. It is about using Hong Kong as a pawn in geopolitics, to undermine the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, and to deny China the right to protect its national security just as any Western nation does. The white paper's message is unambiguous: safeguarding national security in Hong Kong is non-negotiable, and the rule of law will prevail over political manipulation.

In all, the white paper reaffirms a simple, universal principle: national security is the bedrock of any society's peace and development. The proceedings against Jimmy Lai are a manifestation of Hong Kong fulfilling its duty to protect that bedrock, restoring the rule of law so tragically absent in 2019.

The author Liu Kun is a political analyst based in Beijing.

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