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Letters

Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words
Hong Kong’s High Court has sentenced Jimmy Lai Chee-ying to 20 years in prison for violating the national security law, following his conviction in December last year for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and conspiracy to publish seditious materials.
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.
If Hong Kong’s openness were genuinely collapsing, it would show up quickly in capital allocation and confidence metrics. Yet major indices continue to place the city among the top tier of global financial centres. The Global Financial Centres Index ranked Hong Kong third worldwide and first in the Asia-Pacific in September 2025, with a score of 764.
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.
Against that backdrop, the policy framing is also explicit. On February 10, the State Council Information Office released a white paper titled “Hong Kong: Safeguarding China’s National Security Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems”, reaffirming that security should be safeguarded through development and openness – and underscoring once again that Hong Kong’s proposition has long been openness with high standards – welcoming business, talent and ideas, and connecting them to opportunities in the region and beyond.
Zhou Fangzhou, member, Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies
MTR offers smoother ride than city’s roads
Why do our politicians and administrators grandstand when the MTR has a relatively minor issue as it did on February 11?
Our MTR is the best subway system in the world, hands down. However, it comes under intense scrutiny when an inconvenience occurs.
On the other hand, I find our road surfaces to be horrendous, especially highway 7 between Kowloon Tong and Kwai Chung, not too mention many other sections across the city. But I don’t see our politicians calling for the Highways Department to be held accountable when it appears that some roads have not been repaired to a proper condition in years.
Simon Constantinides, Clear Water Bay
Public bodies must do more to protect ordinary residents
As a resident who has witnessed Hong Kong’s remarkable transformation into a world-class metropolis and financial hub, I take great pride in its achievements. However, I am increasingly concerned that major public bodies – such as the Consumer Council and the Equal Opportunities Commission – are failing to adequately protect the rights of ordinary residents.
For one, consumers continue to fall victim to exploitative practices by unscrupulous businesses. A recent example is the decision by Link Reit to charge an additional HK$10 (US$1.3) per transaction at car parks in housing estates during the Lunar New Year period – an unjustified burden on residents during a time of celebration.
Furthermore, various forms of discrimination persist across society, with little to no progress made in addressing age discrimination. Despite growing awareness, meaningful action remains absent, leaving many people vulnerable to unfair treatment based on their age.
The chief executive should pay serious attention to these issues and take concrete steps to ensure that public bodies truly serve and protect the people of Hong Kong.
Lawrence Choi, Tuen Mun


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An orderly Hong Kong can remain open and outward-looking

An aerial view of Hong Kong on May 19, 2025. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong’s success debunks the false binary of security vs freedom

Visitors walk through the newly opened Sai Ying Pun Harbourfront Park on January 10. Photo: Karma Lo

People sit outside the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing headquarters in Central on December 30, 2025. Photo: Sun Yeung

Pedestrians cross a street in Causeway Bay on January 14. Photo: Sam Tsang

Jimmy Lai trial shows Hong Kong’s rule of law remains robust

A Correctional Services Department vehicle carrying Jimmy Lai arrives at the West Kowloon Court on February 9. Photo: Sam Tsang

Collusion is a serious offence. Let Jimmy Lai’s case be an example

Illustration: Craig Stephens

People queue up to enter West Kowloon Court building hoping to secure seats in the public gallery for Jimmy Lai’s trial on February 9. Photo: Sam Tsang

A woman buys a copy of Apple Daily at a news stand in Hong Kong, on June 18, 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE

Jimmy Lai ruling shows Hong Kong’s resolve to uphold the rule of law

The Chief Superintendent of the Hong Kong police’s National Security Department, Steve Li Kwai-wah, speaks to the media at the West Kowloon court in Hong Kong on February 9. Photo: EPA

Western media criticism of the Jimmy Lai case verdict needs a fact check

A Hong Kong Correctional Services vehicle carrying former media tycoon Jimmy Lai leaves the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre and heads to the West Kowloon Court on February 9. Photo: Dickson Lee

Opinion

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


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.
