Joshua Wong pleads guilty: What is the second national security case against the Hong Kong activist?

Joshua Wong, the pro-democracy activist from Hong Kong, pleaded guilty on Wednesday in a second national security case. The charges against him involved alleged collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. Wong was already serving a four-year and eight-month prison term for a previous conviction under a law imposed by Beijing that curtailed Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.

Proponents of Beijing's stance argue that this second conviction demonstrates the Chinese government's crackdown on dissidents to suppress their activism. However, many within China view Wong and similar activists as anti-China figures who support Hong Kong's independence.

According to prosecutors, Wong and his co-conspirators conspired in 2020 to lobby for a US law that would permit sanctions against both China and Hong Kong. They allegedly used social media campaigns and meetings with American politicians, such as Senator Marco Rubio and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to push for these sanctions.

The alleged plan, dubbed "International Battlefront," continued even after the enactment of the national security law. Witnesses stated that Wong shared a petition by fellow activist Nathan Law, which called on digital forensic companies to refrain from cooperating with the police. This petition was circulated after the implementation of the 2020 security law.

The Hong Kong government spokesperson defended the prosecution, stating that the lawful exercise of free speech should not be equated with colluding with a foreign country to impose sanctions and harm one's own nation. Wong first gained notoriety in 2012 during a student protest against the introduction of national education in Hong Kong's schools.

He further rose to prominence during the 2014 Occupy Movement and founded the political party Demosisto in 2016. Following the implementation of the 2020 security laws, the party disbanded.