Joshua Wong pleads guilty to foreign collusion

Former activist Joshua Wong appeared in court on Wednesday, pleading guilty to charges of collusion with a foreign country or external elements aimed at endangering national security. The prosecution informed the High Court that Wong and fellow activist Nathan Law had allegedly reached an agreement in 2016 to pursue political objectives through international lobbying.

Prior to the introduction of Hong Kong's National Security Law, the court heard that Wong and Law had solicited foreign institutions, organizations, and individuals to impose sanctions or engage in hostile actions against the Special Administrative Region (SAR) and China. Following the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law, the prosecution stated that Wong continued to support these efforts via foreign media and social media platforms.

The defense lawyer in mitigation explained that Wong has been incarcerated since the age of 24 and is now nearly 30 years old. He further noted that, apart from the present case, Wong is already serving a sentence that would conclude in January 2027. The defense urged the court to set a lower starting point for Wong's sentence. Justice Tam subsequently adjourned the case to a later date.