Jailed Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, former secretary-general of the now-disbanded separatist political party Demosisto, pleaded guilty in the High Court on Wednesday to one count of conspiracy to collude with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security.

Wong, 29, admitted to the charge before national security judge William Tam Yiu-ho – an offense that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment under the National Security Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The court heard the defendant conspired with fellow party member and fugitive former legislator Nathan Law Kwun-chung, as well as others in the city, to seek support from the international community to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile actions against the HKSAR or the People’s Republic of China between July 1, 2020 and Nov 23, 2020.

Tam ordered the prosecution to read out the case summary as the case carries public interest.

Law and Wong, along with other activists established the Demosisto in 2016, with Law as the founding chairperson, and separatism being one of the party’s founding missions.

After Demosisto’s establishment, Wong and Law made multiple trips abroad to conduct international lobbying, promote signature campaigns and give interviews to foreign media to advance their advocacy.

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Despite the party’s dissolution on June 30, 2020 hours before the SAR’s National Security Law was enacted on the same day, Wong vowed online he would not delete his previous posts, abandon his stance or stop engaging with the world community.

The prosecution highlighted Law’s request, after their online petition, for Israeli digital forensics firm Cellebrite to cease providing services to the Hong Kong Police Force following the NSL’s implementation.

The case summary also reviewed sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, as well as Cellebrite, against the PRC and the HKSAR between 2020 and 2021, including US sanctions against 15 Hong Kong and Chinese mainland officials, and the successive suspensions of extradition agreements with Hong Kong by the UK, France and Germany.

The case summary also reviewed sanctions imposed by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany against the PRC and the HKSAR between 2020 and 2021, including US sanctions against 15 Hong Kong and Chinese mainland officials and the successive suspensions of extradition agreements with Hong Kong by the UK, France and Germany. It also reviewed Cellebrite's decision to cease providing its services in Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland during the same period.

After hearing Wong’s plea for leniency, Tam adjourned sentencing to a date to be announced as soon as possible, noting that Wong is originally due to be released from prison on Jan 7 next year in a separate case in which he was convicted on one count of conspiracy to commit subversion.

Contact the writer at stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com