Jailed activist Joshua Wong admits urging foreign sanctions against China and Hong Kong

Jailed Hong Kong opposition activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has admitted instigating international sanctions against central and local authorities six years ago, such as urging foreign businesses to avoid investment in mainland China and petitioning an Israeli forensic tech firm to terminate its services for the city’s police force.

The High Court heard on Wednesday that Wong, 29, had conspired with fugitive ex-lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung, 33, and others to garner international support for their resistance campaign aimed at forcing Beijing to repeal the national security law and grant Hongkongers greater political freedom.

Wong pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces before Mr Justice William Tam Yiu-ho, a former top prosecutor who oversaw cases involving anti-government protesters in the aftermath of the 2019 social unrest.

The activist is set to face additional years behind bars, having been sentenced to four years and eight months’ imprisonment for conspiring to subvert state power through his participation in an unofficial legislative primary election in July 2020.

Defence lawyers suggested Wong be sentenced to 4½ years in jail in the latest case, citing the less serious nature of the offence and the delay in prosecution.

But Tam expressed reservations, noting the defendant appeared to have lied about renouncing his previous calls for foreign sanctions in his failed bid to run in the 2020 Legislative Council election.