CHINA made yet another defence of the heavy sentence on Hong Kong reporter Xi Yang yesterday, claiming the heavy losses he caused were still state secrets that could not be made public.
A spokesman for the Beijing Municipal People's High Court said the state financial and economic intelligence stolen by Xi were ''highly confidential'' and ''in enormous quantity''.
''The damage incurred was so serious, the details are still classified as state secrets and cannot be publicised,'' the spokesman said.
The official insisted that the 12-year sentence was appropriate due to the severity of the case.
Faced with fierce criticism from journalists and political groups, the court spokesman had specifically addressed concerns and queries raised locally. But he offered little new information on the case, such as the state secrets and economic losses involved.
Instead, he maintained that the Ming Pao newspaper reporter's legal rights had been fully safeguarded during his trial and appeal.
A joint panel of adjudicators had ''fully considered'' Xi's defence before reaching their final verdict, the spokesman said.
