China releases policy paper on national security in Hong Kong after Jimmy Lai sentencing

Police officers standing guard as members of the public wait to enter the West Kowloon Court ahead of Jimmy Lai's sentencing hearing for former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong on Feb 9, 2026. - Bloomberg

HONG KONG: China on Tuesday (Feb 10) released a policy white paper on Hong Kong's practice of safeguarding national security to ensure stability in a volatile world, emphasising Beijing has "fundamental responsibility" for national security affairs in the city.

This white paper was released by China's State Council, or cabinet, a day after a Hong Kong court sentenced leading China critic and former media mogul Jimmy Lai to 20 years imprisonment in a landmark foreign collusion case under the city's national security law.