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Central government agencies stationed in Hong Kong have voiced firm support for the prison sentences handed down by the High Court against the disbanded Hong Kong Alliance and its former leaders for inciting subversion under the National Security Law, while strongly condemning foreign forces for attempting to interfere in China's internal affairs.
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The statements were issued by the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR, the Office for Safeguarding National Security, and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the HKSAR following the sentencing on Friday, which saw Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Tonyee Chow Hang-tung receive jail terms ranging from five years and two months to seven years and three months.
Hong Kong Liaison Office
Liaison Office hails verdict as triumph of justice
A spokesperson for the Liaison Office stated that justice has been served, noting that the judicial verdict made clear that the defendants engaged in long-standing anti-China activities aimed at disrupting Hong Kong, openly inciting the overthrow of the Communist Party of China's leadership and undermining the country's fundamental system.
The spokesperson emphasized that the evidence was incontrovertible and that the defendants persisted in their unlawful conduct even after the National Security Law came into effect, making their punishment fully deserved.
Pointing out that the Chinese Constitution clearly defines the leadership of the Communist Party as the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the office reiterated that Hong Kong, as a local administrative region, has a constitutional duty to respect and uphold the national system and constitutional order.
The office strongly denounced overseas politicians and anti-China figures who use human rights and freedom as pretexts to meddle in Hong Kong's judicial affairs, describing such interference as hypocritical double standards that will never shake the determination of central and local authorities to safeguard national security.
Office for Safeguarding National Security
National Security Office stresses legal authority and zero tolerance
The Office for Safeguarding National Security affirmed that the sentences strictly upheld the authority of the rule of law and demonstrated Hong Kong's resolve in defending national security.
Highlighting the comprehensive 206-page conviction judgment, the office's spokesperson noted that the defendants had long sought to incite public disaffection, hostility, and hatred toward state authority.
The office commended the police force for strict law enforcement and the judiciary for conducting an independent, transparent, and fair trial, adding that the prison terms accurately reflect the legal culpability of each defendant.
The spokesperson criticized external forces for fabricating false narratives around the defendants to smear the city's legal system, warning that attempts to shelter offenders and disrupt Hong Kong will not succeed.
The office stressed that it will show zero tolerance for any acts endangering national security and will firmly support the SAR government in countering foreign interference.
Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Hong Kong)
Foreign Ministry Commissioner emphasizes legal boundaries of free speech
The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Alliance's manifesto was inherently subversive, pointing out that the organization and defendants had long advocated the overthrow of one-party rule in a direct attempt to undermine the constitutional status of the Communist Party and the nation's fundamental system.
The spokesperson underscored that freedom of speech has clear legal boundaries. While the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance explicitly respect and protect fundamental human rights and freedoms under the Basic Law and international covenants, these rights are not absolute and must be exercised in accordance with obligations to protect national security and public order.
Reiterating that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law where no one can engage in illegal activities under the guise of free speech or freedom of the press, the commissioner's office emphasized that the case remains purely an internal Chinese affair.
The office urged foreign governments, international bodies, and politicians to abide by international law and immediately cease interfering in Hong Kong and Chinese internal matters.
