Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty to national security charges

Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. The 29-year-old appeared at Hong Kong’s High Court in Admiralty, where he entered his plea regarding accusations that he lobbied foreign governments to impose sanctions, blockades, or other hostile measures against China and Hong Kong.

The charges stem from activities occurring in 2020, following the implementation of a national security law by Beijing. Prosecutors alleged that Wong, along with co-conspirators including exiled activist Nathan Law, engaged in an "International Battlefront" campaign. This effort reportedly involved social media advocacy and meetings with foreign politicians, including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to encourage international pressure on the territory.

Wong is already serving a prison sentence of four years and eight months for a separate national security conviction related to his involvement in an unofficial political primary election. Before his arrest for this latest collusion-related offense in June 2025, he had been scheduled for release in January 2026. While the current charge carries a standard prison term of three to 10 years, it can be upgraded to life imprisonment if the court deems the offense to be of a grave nature. A guilty plea can typically lead to a reduced sentence.

During the court proceedings, Wong, who wore a blue shirt and black-rimmed glasses, confirmed his plea to the judge. The court heard that the prosecution’s case against him included evidence of his continued calls for sanctions and documentation of his meetings with foreign officials posted on social media platforms after the national security law took effect. The judge indicated that a sentencing decision would be made at a later date.

Wong, a former student leader who co-founded the pro-democracy party Demosisto in 2016, has been a central figure in Hong Kong’s political movement since his youth. Demosisto disbanded on the same day the national security law was enacted in 2020. While the Chinese government characterizes Wong as an anti-China figure who supports independence, critics of the legal proceedings argue that the case reflects a broader effort by authorities to silence prominent dissidents and suppress civic activism in the territory.