Joshua Wong pleads guilty in Hong Kong foreign-collusion case as sentencing looms

Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty in Hong Kong to a foreign-collusion charge under the city's national security law, in a second case that could carry a life sentence. The 29-year-old pro-democracy activist entered the plea at the High Court in Admiralty on Wednesday, according to court reporting from the hearing. Prosecutors allege he asked foreign countries, individuals or institutions to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile measures against Hong Kong and China in 2020.

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The court heard that Wong is accused of supporting efforts to draw international pressure on Hong Kong and China after the national security law took effect in 2020. Prosecutors said he wrote for newspapers, spoke to media outlets and met foreign politicians, including former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also stood up in court and said "Confirm" after the charges were read out, before later pleading guilty.

Wong is already serving a nearly five-year sentence for subversion and had been due for release next year. The latest offence carries a prison term of three to 10 years, or up to life imprisonment if it is deemed to be of a grave nature. The judge said sentencing would be decided as soon as possible, but no date was given.

Supporters attended the hearing, and several Western diplomats were also present. The case matters because Wong remains one of the most recognisable figures from Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. He first rose to prominence during the 2014 Umbrella Movement and later became a leading face of the 2019 protests, which helped set the stage for Beijing's national security crackdown.

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His prosecution now sits within a wider pattern of cases brought under the law against activists, former lawmakers and other critics of the authorities. Prosecutors say the alleged conduct involved lobbying abroad after the security law was imposed, which they treat as a serious threat to national security. The charge reflects the continuing reach of the law beyond Hong Kong's borders, including alleged contacts with foreign politicians and public appeals for sanctions.

It also highlights the role of exiled activists, including Nathan Law, whom prosecutors say was involved in the wider campaign. Wong's earlier conviction and imprisonment mean the new case could extend a period of detention that has already lasted for years. He was among dozens of pro-democracy campaigners convicted in Hong Kong's largest national security trial after an unofficial election effort in 2020.

That broader legal campaign has sharply reduced the space for organised opposition in the city, according to critics, while the authorities say the law was needed to restore stability. What remains unclear is how the court will treat the offence at sentencing and whether it will be considered grave enough to justify the harshest penalty. The timing of the sentence has not been announced, and the final outcome may depend on how the judge weighs the guilty plea.

The case is likely to remain closely watched because it combines a high-profile defendant, a national security charge and the possibility of a life term.

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Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty in court to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. The case is the second time the 29-year-old has been prosecuted under the Beijing-imposed national security law introduced in 2020. He appeared in court in Hong Kong on Wednesday and is expected to be sentenced later.

The charge relates to allegations that Wong conspired with other campaigners, including exiled activist Nathan Law, to ask foreign countries and entities outside China to impose sanctions or blockades against Beijing. Court documents cited activities between July and late November 2020. Prosecutors said Wong supported the effort from Hong Kong through foreign and social media, including by sharing posts and an online petition linked to the campaign.

Wong is already serving a prison sentence of four years and eight months after a separate conviction for subversion in late 2024. That sentence had been due to end early next year before the new arrest in June 2025. The latest offence carries a possible sentence of three to 10 years, or up to life imprisonment if the court deems it to be of a grave nature.

Pleading guilty can typically reduce a sentence, but the final outcome has not yet been announced. The case is significant because Wong has long been one of the most recognisable faces of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. He was at the forefront of the Umbrella Movement in 2014 and the mass protests in 2019, both of which shaped the city's political trajectory.

His latest plea comes as authorities continue to use the national security law against prominent activists, while critics say the legislation has sharply narrowed the space for dissent. The national security law was introduced by China in 2020 after months of unrest in Hong Kong. Beijing and Hong Kong authorities say the law was needed to restore stability, while opponents argue it has been used to silence political opposition and chill civic activism.

In Wong's case, prosecutors say the alleged conduct involved seeking foreign pressure on China and Hong Kong, which authorities treat as a serious national security matter. Supporters gathered in court during the hearing, with some calling out encouragement as Wong appeared in a dark blue shirt. He was described as thinner than before, and observers said he smiled and nodded in response from the dock.

Former activist Tsang Kin-shing said he hoped for a lenient sentence, while fellow activist Louis Lee said supporters were disheartened that Wong faced another national security charge while already in prison. The case also highlights the continuing role of exiled activists in Hong Kong's political dispute. Nathan Law, who left Hong Kong, has continued campaigning abroad, according to the prosecution, including meetings with foreign politicians and petition drives.

Prosecutors said Wong supported some of that work from Hong Kong, including by sharing online material intended to draw international attention. The court has not yet announced the sentence, and it remains unclear how much weight the guilty plea will carry when punishment is decided. What happens next will depend on the sentencing hearing and whether the court treats the offence as grave.

The case is likely to remain closely watched because it involves one of Hong Kong's best-known democracy figures and a charge that can carry a life sentence. It also adds to the broader picture of how the national security law continues to shape political life in the city.

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