"The UK pushed hard to secure the release of Jimmy Lai, the newspaper publisher and British citizen who was a leading light in Hong Kong's brutally suppressed pro-democracy movement. So, too, did press freedom and human rights campaigners. But the Beijing-appointed high court judges in the former colony convicted him anyway, finding Lai guilty last week on fake charges of trying to destabilise the Chinese Communist party (CCP). For Xi Jinping, China's dictator-emperor, there is no greater crime."
"Protesting to China's ambassador, the UK's foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, condemned the trial as politically motivated. She's right, of course but her angry words will make no difference. Beijing's contempt for Britain's views is as painfully obvious as the UK's weakness and indecision in the face of Chinese hubris. The breaking of its solemn promise to respect Hong Kong's freedoms after the 1997 handover typifies the arrogance and untrustworthiness of Xi's CCP."
Jimmy Lai, a British citizen and newspaper publisher, was convicted by Beijing-appointed high court judges on charges of trying to destabilise the Chinese Communist Party. The UK government and human rights campaigners pushed for his release, and the foreign secretary condemned the trial as politically motivated. Beijing's actions reflect contempt for Britain's views and a breach of the promise to respect Hong Kong's freedoms after the 1997 handover. Keir Starmer plans a trade-focused visit to China and downplays some security concerns while ministers cite investment and export opportunities, raising tensions between economic interests and democratic and security principles.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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