Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleads guilty in second national security case

It is the second prosecution of Wong, 29, under the Beijing-imposed law, which critics say has effectively stifled the Chinese territory’s once-thriving pro-democracy movement.

HONG KONG — Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty Wednesday to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security under a Beijing-imposed law that has effectively stifled the Chinese territory’s once-thriving pro-democracy movement.

It was the second prosecution of Wong, a former student leader in the pro-democracy movement and one of its most recognizable faces, under the national security law introduced in Hong Kong in 2020 to quell massive anti-government protests that rocked the city the year before.

Wong, who wore a blue shirt, appeared thinner as he entered his plea.

Wong is expected to be sentenced later. The offense is punishable by a prison term of three to 10 years, or up to life imprisonment if the offense is deemed to be “of a grave nature.” Pleading guilty could typically result in a reduced sentence.

He was already serving a prison term of four years and eight months after entering a guilty plea in a separate national security case linked to an unofficial political primary. Before the arrest for the collusion-related offense in June 2025, Wong had been expected to be freed next January.