Jailed HK activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty to foreign collusion

Prominent Hong Kong pro‑democracy campaigner Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to collusion with overseas entities, a charge that carries a maximum penalty under Beijing’s National Security Law (NSL). The 29‑year‑old, who has become the poster child for political activism in Hong Kong, is already serving a sentence of four years and eight months after being convicted of subversion – a separate NSL offence – in late 2024. That earlier term was due to end early next year. Wong was a leading figure in the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the large‑scale pro‑democracy protests of 2019. The latest accusation alleges that Wong conspired with other activists, including exiled campaigner Nathan Law, to urge foreign governments and organisations outside China to impose sanctions or blockades against Beijing, according to tribunal documents reviewed by Reuters. The alleged conduct occurred between July and late November 2020, the year China introduced the controversial NSL. Critics argue the law has fostered a climate of fear and stifled dissent, while Beijing and Hong Kong officials maintain it is essential for preserving stability and insist it has not eroded autonomy. About 40 of Wong’s supporters, including fellow activists and some of his close friends, assembled in court on Tuesday. Several shouted, “Hang in there, Joshua!” Wong, dressed in a dark blue shirt, was observed smiling and nodding from the dock. Tsang Kin‑shing, a former member of the now‑dissolved League of Social Democrats, said he hopes the court will impose a lenient sentence, pointing out that Wong has already spent more than 2,000 days in prison. Louis Lee, another activist, remarked that Wong and his supporters were disheartened to receive an additional NSL charge while he is already incarcerated. Wong has continued to pursue new interests behind bars, such as learning to play the guitar and exercising. “I hope everyone can learn from him,” Lee said.