The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council on Monday lauded a 20-year jail sentence for Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, by Hong Kong High Court, saying it decisively and powerfully demonstrates that anyone who dares to challenge the laws safeguarding national security will inevitably face severe punishment.

In an article written under the name Gang Aoping, posted on the HKMAO's official social media account, it said the sentencing of Jimmy Lai fully reflects the collective condemnation by Hong Kong society of the principal offenders who sought to undermine China's stability and the region's prosperity, thereby robustly upholding justice and righteousness.

It also clearly demonstrates the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's resolute commitment to safeguarding national security and exemplifies the spirit of the rule of law, it stressed.

The article came after the city's High Court jailed Lai for 20 years for two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. Lai's associated companies, Apple Daily Ltd, Apple Daily Printing Ltd, and AD Internet Ltd, were each fined HK$3,004,500 ($384,000). Eight other defendants, involved in the case, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from six years and nine months to a decade.

The court, based on facts and legal provisions, has convicted Jimmy Lai, identifying him as the mastermind behind the relevant offenses. In accordance with the severity of his crimes and in strict compliance with legal requirements, a fair sentence has been delivered, it reads.

This is an essential requirement for upholding the rule of law. It should also be noted that the trial of Jimmy Lai's case was conducted with openness and transparency, following rigorous procedures, and the defendant's litigation rights were fully protected in accordance with the law.

"The court carried out its trial independently without any interference, demonstrating the maturity and resilience of Hong Kong's rule of law, as well as its unimpeachable credibility," it stressed.

We firmly support the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in fulfilling its constitutional responsibility to safeguard national security and in fully and accurately implementing the national security laws, it vowed.