U.S. prosecutors and lawmakers were called out in an op-ed for their “double standard” when dealing with matters that threaten the country’s national security.

“Some U.S. elites have a shameless double standard when dealing with forces threatening national security. They condemn and even sentence those who incite violence in the U.S. to long prison terms, but when it comes to anti-China disruptors, they spare no effort to defend them,” read the op-ed published on Thursday.

The article was referring to the Hong Kong protests in 2019, which initially started as an opposition to a proposed extradition bill and later called for increased freedoms and democracy, but was met violently by security forces.

A jury on Tuesday found Rhodes guilty of seditious conspiracy for planning to violently overthrow the 2020 presidential election results, and he could face up to 20 years in prison.

He is the latest January 6 rioter convicted for aggressive events on that day, when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in an effort to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential victory.

The jury also found Kelly Meggs, the Florida Oath Keepers leader, guilty of seditious conspiracy, a charge that had not been used for decades in the United States.

“The Capitol riots have severely traumatized the already unstable U.S. politics and society, making Americans distinctly feel the dangers of violent confrontation and realize the importance of national stability,” the Global Times op-ed read.

“However, when talking about the recent high-profile trial of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, an instigator of the Hong Kong riots in 2019, some U.S. forces have portrayed Lai as a ‘fighter for democracy,’” it added.

Lai Chee-ying was sentenced to a 14-month jail term for organizing a rally during the Hong Kong protests in 2019, along with eight other individuals who were sentenced to up to 18 months in prison for their roles at that time, the South China Morning Post reported in May 2021.

China introduced the National Security Law in 2020 to prosecute individuals who carry out attempts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, according to BBC News.

Lai Chee-ying, who is also the founder of the Apple Daily newspaper, was charged under that law for alleged foreign collusion.

“But with the strong implementation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong, the fantasy of these U.S. forces was shattered. They should now realize that they cannot fight against justice, nor can they change the destiny of Lai, who incited secession and violence to destabilize Hong Kong,” the Global Times op-ed read.

“Every time they speak out in support of Lai, these forces only further expose their hypocrisy on the issue of protecting national security and reveal how ugly their true colors are,” it added.

The Global Times then continued: “When there is an attack on the U.S. Capitol, it is a seditious conspiracy and a danger to U.S. national security. However, when a similar situation occurs in Hong Kong, it is about democratic expression and protecting freedom of speech.”

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment.