Jimmy Lai Chee-ying arrives at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts in Hong Kong, China, May 18, 2020. Photo: Xinhua

The Hong Kong Police Force arrested media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and six others Monday morning. The police said in a statement that their offenses include collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security, and conspiracy to commit fraud. 

The arrest has sent shockwaves. It sent a strong signal to the public that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government was not intimated by US sanctions, including sanctions on Chief Executive Carrie Lam and other senior Hong Kong officials. The Hong Kong SAR government has shown its undaunted spirit.

People without any legal knowledge can tell that Lai is a traitor. In the past, laws in Hong Kong could not do anything about him. He had been arrested, but was soon released and went unpunished. The public strongly hopes that the newly enacted national security law for Hong Kong can bring Lai, who committed crimes, to justice. 

Two of Lai's sons and other executives from his Next Digital were among the seven arrested by the police. The police also searched the headquarters of Next Digital. Under US and Western pressure, this is a brave and noble law enforcement practice. It shows that the once-eroded justice is being re-established in Hong Kong, and Hong Kong's law-enforcement authorities will not care about Washington and the forces it supports, but will only pledge allegiance to the law.

Washington should clearly see that its so-called sanctions count for nothing in the face of the support of all the Chinese people for Hong Kong. On Sunday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wooed foreign ministers from the Five Eyes alliance to release a joint statement that criticized the Hong Kong government's postponement of the legislative council elections. All these actions that Washington hopes to exert some real impact have all ended as a war of words. 

Contentions over Hong Kong are not the ones for democracy or freedom any more. It is a matter of Washington's erosion of China's sovereignty over Hong Kong. Some traitors colluded with Washington and tried to mess up Hong Kong with Washington's manipulation. It is believed many Westerners, including the Americans, have become clear about the true face of the matter.

The only effect of Washington's sanctions is that it makes Hong Kong's public servants disappointed with the US. This group of people will lean closer to Beijing. The more sanctions the US imposes, the more Hong Kong's ordinary people will get hurt. This will push the hearts and minds of Hong Kong society closer to the country. US sanctions will only unite Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.

Lai was arrested for allegedly violating the national security law. This means this law has teeth. There are various national interests and legal systems and associated political stances, values and rules in the world. A Hong Kong resident must abide by Chinese mainland and Hong Kong laws, including the national security law for Hong Kong. The set of rules touted by the US cannot dominate Hong Kong.

All the forces who oppose the central government and destabilize Hong Kong must give up their illusions. The US cannot provide shelter to them, but will only use them as cannon fodder to contain China. Lai was arrested under the security law, so could others who endanger national security. 

The US could take further actions on Hong Kong-related affairs. It has played out the easy cards. What new cards it will play will be determined by how they will help the re-election of US President Donald Trump, while the so-called democracy fighters in Hong Kong will likely fall victim.

This is a struggle that concerns the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. The future prosperity of Hong Kong rests on the Chinese nation rather than the US. In an era of China-US strategic competition, don't pick the wrong side and become Washington's puppet.