After discussing the latent threat posed by three wanted persons in our previous article, we wish to remind Hong Kong people that we should cast our surveillance net wider to include those notorious anti-China disrupters in the United Kingdom and Taiwan region.

In particular, now is not the time to lower our guard against the defamatory narratives propagated by three anti-China disrupters who are hiding in these two places. These three offshore disrupters are Stephen Shiu Yeuk-yuen, Sang Pu, and Sam Ng Chi-sum. All of them like to use social media to post defamatory comments.

Like the mainstream Western media, Shiu has tried his best to talk down China’s economy, claiming that it has been in a shambles with no visible chance of recovery.

While China’s economy is facing some headwinds, our think tank is of the view that it will achieve a targeted growth rate of around 5 percent this year. In a recent review of China’s economy, UBS said the economic fundamentals had improved, citing manufacturing and credit impulse. Bank of America is also in the bull camp. Leaning to the pessimistic side is extremely dangerous.

Another malicious act of Shiu is his attempt to arouse anti-mainland sentiment in the city. On Sept 8, torrential rains caused heavy flooding in the northern parts of the New Territories. Shiu suggested that it was a “man-made disaster” because Hong Kong’s northern regions had been “sacrificed” to divert water discharged from the Shenzhen Reservoir.

Nothing can be more illogical than to suggest that Shenzhen, our close economic partner, intended to save itself by recklessly flooding the northern parts of Hong Kong with a sudden discharge. There is no evidence that supports Shiu’s allegation.

Secretary of Security Chris Tang Ping-keung denied such a groundless allegation, saying that the discharge had no impact on the city’s flooding.

It is more than obvious that Shiu has tried to drive a wedge between Hong Kong people and mainland residents. Some pro-Democratic Progressive Party media outlets in Taiwan immediately took their cue from Shiu’s allegation and fired cheap shots at mainland authorities.

Shiu is not a credible person. In 2003, he was involved in a pyramid scheme. During the “black-clad” riots of 2019, as seen in a video footage widely shared online, a man was doused in a flammable liquid and set on fire by a rioter in Ma On Shan. In response, Shiu made misleading comments, claiming that the video was faked.

Shiu has many young followers on social media. At the heart of his popularity is, and always has been, the benefits conferred on Shiu by the echo chambers on social media. Many radical followers of Shiu are willing to allow their rationality and common sense to be usurped by their blind faith in his extreme ideas and anti-China propaganda. In his new book, Duke University professor Chris Bail argues that the social media prism is the main source of political polarization because it fuels extremism.

Sang Pu is another dangerous anti-China disrupter hiding in Taiwan. Notorious for his malicious criticisms of China and its Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sang Pu moved to Taiwan after the promulgation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong in June 2020. Besides being a political commentator, he is wearing another hat as the chairman of the Taiwan Hong Kong Association. In late 2022, he maliciously portrayed Hong Kong’s Care Teams in a defamatory light, claiming that they will serve as the government’s watchdogs in the communities.

Sang has also tried to smear Hong Kong’s judicial independence. In late August, he criticized the Court of Final Appeal for its ruling that appellant Lui Sai-yu was not entitled to the customary one-third reduction in sentence for pleading guilty. He was ultimately sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. In response, Sang said the judgment has brought great harm to human rights in Hong Kong.

Finally, Sam Ng chi-sum also poses headaches for the Police Force’s national security department. At a glance, Ng is less radical than Shiu, but he is also a dangerous man. Partly because he is a former TV celebrity, and partly because he has broad support base in the “yellow camp”, Ng remains an influential offshore disrupter and his influence remains lurking in the shadows. Since migrating to the UK, Ng has remained active on the social media. He and Tsang Chi-ho regularly produce YouTube video clips to promote their political agenda.

Ng was a dedicated political agitator even before he fled the city: Aside from promoting his toxic ideas through various media outlets, he also published books to propagate his biased political views. He also strongly criticized the introduction of national education in Hong Kong. In March, he launched another round of attacks on the city’s national education program.

Peal Tsang is chairwoman of the Hong Kong Ample Love Society, and co-director of district administration of the Chinese Dream Think Tank.

Kacee Ting Wong is a barrister, a part-time researcher of Shenzhen University Hong Kong and the Macao Basic Law Research Center, and chairman of the Chinese Dream Think Tank.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.