Hong Kong activist Wong faces new charge of colluding with foreign forces
HONG KONG (Kyodo) -- Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, who has been jailed over a subversion case, was newly charged Friday with "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020.
The 28-year-old, who was sentenced in November to four years and eight months in prison over an unofficial primary election, allegedly conspired with fellow activist Nathan Law to urge foreign countries to impose sanctions or take other hostile actions against Hong Kong and China between July 1 and Nov. 23, 2020.
He was also accused of requesting foreign powers or organizations to "seriously disrupt the formulation and implementation of laws or policies" by mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities. His case was adjourned until Aug. 8.
Law is currently in self-imposed exile in Britain.
Beijing introduced the national security legislation to the semiautonomous city in 2020 to criminalize activities such as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign or external elements.
The offense of collusion with foreign forces carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
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