President Donald Trump may “feel badly” about the conviction of Jimmy Lai, but the Chinese Communist Party appears uninterested in adhering to his request to release the Hong Kong activist.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry, asked to comment on Trump’s appeal on Monday for Lai’s release, told foreign reporters on Tuesday that the central government “supports the Hong Kong [special administrative region] in safeguarding national security and punishing crimes that endanger national security in accordance with the law.”