The day after Mr Lai’s verdict, China released a security white paper on Hong Kong. The timing was no coincidence. It described the national security law as a “legal shield” that had restored order. The message was that Hong Kong cannot be a special case within China: its courts, legislature and civil service are instruments of Beijing’s security apparatus. Mr Lai’s sentence, the heaviest yet imposed under China’s national security law, drew international criticism. The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, called for his release, warning that the verdict violated international law, criminalised journalism and relied on conduct that predated the legislation under which he was prosecuted.