The key facts

  • Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 years for 'colluding with foreign forces' after pleading guilty in September
  • The term runs concurrently with his previous sentence; his expected release has been pushed to late 2036
  • China's Foreign Ministry said Wong pleaded guilty 'faced with irrefutable facts' and called on outside parties not to interfere in Hong Kong's judicial affairs

Verdict in the 'foreign collusion' case

A Hong Kong court on Thursday sentenced activist Joshua Wong (Chi-fung) to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to 'collude with foreign forces.' The ruling was reported by Anadolu, citing the South China Morning Post. Wong was already serving a sentence for conspiracy to commit subversion; in the second case he pleaded guilty in September. The charge concerned his role in a 'global campaign to initiate sanctions against mainland China and the city' following the 2019 anti-government protests.

The substance of the charge and the sentence

Wong was found guilty of conspiring with fugitive former legislator Nathan Lo (Law Kwun-chung) and other activists in 'collusion with foreign forces' after Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong on June 30, 2020. Judge William Tam (William Tam Yiu-ho) ruled that Wong and his associates 'used connections with high-ranking foreign officials and institutions to advance foreign intervention' through social media and Western media, and that the sanctions and hostile actions sought by the activists 'could lead to extremely detrimental consequences' for Hong Kong and mainland China. The new sentence will run concurrently with the previous one, which expires on January 7; according to the South China Morning Post, Wong's expected release date has been pushed back to late 2036.

Beijing's reaction

After the verdict, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told journalists in Beijing that 'the rule of law prevails in Hong Kong' and described Wong as a participant in a conspiracy with a foreign state or external elements to 'endanger national security,' adding that the offence 'has been recognized as serious in nature.' According to him, 'faced with irrefutable facts and evidence, Wong had no grounds for defense and pleaded guilty.' He also called on external parties to respect China's sovereignty and to 'stop interfering in Hong Kong's judicial affairs and China's internal affairs in any form.'