China’s top spy agency calls Hong Kong 47 court case ‘pivotal test’ of rule of law
- Conviction of 14 opposition figures for subversion also warning that those who challenge national defence will be punished, agency says
The Ministry of State Security on Tuesday also said the ruling was a warning to all “anti-China troublemakers” and foreign forces that any attempts to challenge the country’s national defence would be “severely punished”.
It was the first time the ministry had weighed in on the city’s biggest trial under the Beijing-imposed national security law. The High Court last month convicted 14 out of 16 opposition activists who contested the charges over an unofficial “primary” election in 2020 that was deemed subversive.
Thirty-one others had earlier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit subversion and face possible prison terms ranging from three years to life.
The ministry said the trial, which lasted 118 days, also asserted the “authority of the rule of law” and clarified legal disputes surrounding the national security legislation and the definition of relevant provisions.
“It declared Hong Kong’s zero-tolerance attitude towards the subversion of state power and allowed Hong Kong’s legal system for safeguarding national security to bare its teeth and thorns,” the post on WeChat said.