Opinion | Hong Kong Puts Itself on Trial

The trial of jailed newspaperman Jimmy Lai begins Monday. He is formally accused of sedition, collusion with foreign forces and conspiracy to produce and distribute seditious material. But the real case the authorities are making is that Hong Kong people would never push for democracy if the 76-year-old Mr. Lai and outside forces hadn’t infected them with this foreign idea.

On Wednesday China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning called Mr. Lai the “mastermind” of protests aimed at destabilizing Hong Kong. She defended Hong Kong’s national security law imposed by China after a year of protests, under which Mr. Lai now faces a life sentence if convicted.