Joshua Wong, a prominent Hong Kong democracy activist, pleaded guilty in his second national security case involving accusations of colluding with foreign forces, during a hearing at the High Court in Admiralty on Wednesday (March 5). He could face life imprisonment.
Wong, 29, was accused of calling on foreign countries to impose sanctions or blockades, or carry out other hostile actions against China and Hong Kong in 2020, after Beijing imposed the national security law on the territory. The sentence for this offense ranges from three to ten years in prison, but could escalate to life if deemed serious in nature.
Wong is currently serving a nearly five-year sentence for subversion and is expected to be released next year. Ahead of the trial, prosecutors stated that Wong wrote articles and spoke to media outlets to urge international sanctions on China and Hong Kong after the security law took effect. He also met with foreign politicians, including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
After the charge was read, Wong stood and told the judge loudly: "Confirmed." The judge said the sentence would be handed down "as soon as possible" but did not specify a date.
Several Western diplomats attended the hearing. Wong's case follows the conviction last month of two other activists for inciting subversion over the use of the slogan "end one-party dictatorship" in political activities.
Wong is recognized as one of the most internationally prominent figures in Hong Kong's democracy movement during the 2014 Umbrella Movement. He also co-founded the Demosisto party, which was established in 2016 and disbanded in 2020, just as the national security law came into effect.
