
China probes Tibet ex-leader over bribes, 'superstitious activities'
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South China Morning Post
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How China used rare earths and the US playbook to turn on the chip tap again
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HKFP
6 hours ago
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Father of activist wanted under nat. sec law pleads not guilty to attempting to handle daughter's insurance funds
The father of overseas activist Anna Kwok, who is wanted under the national security law, has pleaded not guilty to attempting to handle her funds. Kwok Yin-sang, a merchant, appeared at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court on Wednesday afternoon. He faces a charge under Article 23, the city's homegrown security law, for allegedly attempting to deal with funds linked to an 'absconder.' His daughter, Anna Kwok, who lives in the US, is wanted by national security police for suspected foreign collusion. According to the charge sheet, Kwok Yin-sang allegedly attempted to obtain funds from an AIA International life and personal accident insurance policy that belonged to Anna Kwok between January 4 and February 27. Wearing a green T-shirt and a black mask, Kwok Yin-sang said 'not guilty' when asked by the court how he would plead. Judge Victor So set the trial to be conducted on October 8 and 9 after prosecutor Vincent Lee said he estimated it would take at least two days. Lee said he expected to summon seven prosecution witnesses. Article 23 Kwok Yin-sang is the first relative of a wanted activist to be charged with a national security offence. His daughter, Anna Kwok, is one of 34 overseas activists wanted by police under the Beijing-imposed national security law. Authorities are offering up to HK$1 million for information that could lead to their arrest. Invoking Article 23, the Hong Kong government barred anyone from dealing with her assets in the city after Secretary for Security Chris Tang declared her an 'absconder,' along with six other exiled activists, in December. Her father was denied bail after his arrest in late April and spent two and a half weeks in remand before being granted bail on several conditions, including reporting to the police every day and not contacting his daughter. His release marked the first successful bail application in a case charged under Article 23, known officially as the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. Separate to the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects' access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. The law has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and 'regressive.' Authorities, however, cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to 'close loopholes' after the 2019 protests and unrest.