China slams foreign interference in Joshua Wong's case

In response to concerns raised by some Western politicians over the sentencing of Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, China on Thursday urged relevant parties to respect its sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law, and refrain from interfering in the city's judicial affairs.

Wong, the former secretary-general of the now-disbanded political party Demosisto, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Hong Kong's High Court on Thursday. He pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiracy to collude with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security.

As some Western politicians have repeatedly expressed so-called concerns over the case of Wong, Guo the spokesman, said, "The relevant parties should earnestly respect China's sovereignty and the rule of law in Hong Kong, and stop making irresponsible remarks regarding the adjudication of judicial cases in the (Hong Kong) Special Administrative Region."

Guo said that Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law, and it is a fundamental principle that the law must be observed and the violations of law must be held accountable.

China's central government firmly supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in upholding national security and combating moves that endanger national security in accordance with the law, he said.