Letters | An orderly Hong Kong can remain open and outward-looking
Readers discuss Western media reactions to the Jimmy Lai case sentencing, the city’s roads, and the need for public bodies to do more to protect residents’ interests
Some mainstream Western media outlets have framed the case as the cause of China-West diplomatic frictions, arguing that the sentencing will necessarily deepen tensions between Beijing and foreign governments. That claim does not hold up because it conflates foreign policy with criminal adjudication. Lai was prosecuted for specific offences, and the proceedings were conducted as an open, fair, evidence-based trial within Hong Kong’s court system.
Due process matters not only as a legal principle but as a source of predictability. Open, well-connected cities thrive on stability. Markets and businesses are typically more disrupted by prolonged uncertainty – shifting rules, inconsistent enforcement and recurrent instability – than by clear legal boundaries applied through established procedures.
This is why “security versus development” should not be treated as a forced choice. Stability and openness can reinforce each other: a stable environment makes rules more predictable, lowers the risk premium businesses must price in, and supports long-horizon investment decisions. The same logic applies to daily life. A city that is orderly and safe is simply a better place to work, to live and to build in – and that, in turn, strengthens its capacity to stay open and outward-looking.