Beijing Reaffirms National Security Doctrine After Jimmy Lai’s 20-Year Sentence
China underscores its national security policy and legal framework for Hong Kong in the wake of a landmark sentencing under the territory’s security law
The Chinese government has underscored its national security policy and legal framework for Hong Kong in the aftermath of a court’s decision to sentence prominent pro-democracy media figure Jimmy Lai to twenty years in prison under the city’s national security law.
On February 9, a Hong Kong court imposed the harshest sentence to date under the 2020 National Security Law, finding Lai guilty of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material after a lengthy trial that concluded with convictions in December 2025. The verdict and sentence have drawn global attention as emblematic of Beijing’s rigorous enforcement of security provisions in the territory.
China’s broader national security strategy, articulated in a comprehensive national security white paper released by the State Council Information Office in May 2025, frames national security as integral to safeguarding its sovereignty, development, and social stability in a volatile global environment.
The document outlines a holistic security concept that encompasses political, economic, military and societal dimensions, and reflects the leadership’s emphasis on strengthening legal and institutional mechanisms to support these aims.
Hong Kong authorities and mainland officials have publicly defended the verdict against Lai as a lawful application of the security law and essential to preserving national stability, rejecting international criticism as interference in internal affairs.
This position aligns with Beijing’s published security doctrine, which positions strict enforcement as a cornerstone of its legal order and governance in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The national security law, enacted in June 2020 by China’s National People’s Congress and applied in Hong Kong, criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers, and continues to shape the legal landscape of the city.
The leadership’s reaffirmation of its security policy through official documents aims to reinforce this framework amid ongoing diplomatic and human rights debates.
On February 9, a Hong Kong court imposed the harshest sentence to date under the 2020 National Security Law, finding Lai guilty of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material after a lengthy trial that concluded with convictions in December 2025. The verdict and sentence have drawn global attention as emblematic of Beijing’s rigorous enforcement of security provisions in the territory.
China’s broader national security strategy, articulated in a comprehensive national security white paper released by the State Council Information Office in May 2025, frames national security as integral to safeguarding its sovereignty, development, and social stability in a volatile global environment.
The document outlines a holistic security concept that encompasses political, economic, military and societal dimensions, and reflects the leadership’s emphasis on strengthening legal and institutional mechanisms to support these aims.
Hong Kong authorities and mainland officials have publicly defended the verdict against Lai as a lawful application of the security law and essential to preserving national stability, rejecting international criticism as interference in internal affairs.
This position aligns with Beijing’s published security doctrine, which positions strict enforcement as a cornerstone of its legal order and governance in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The national security law, enacted in June 2020 by China’s National People’s Congress and applied in Hong Kong, criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers, and continues to shape the legal landscape of the city.
The leadership’s reaffirmation of its security policy through official documents aims to reinforce this framework amid ongoing diplomatic and human rights debates.
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