national security law

A Hong Kong man pleaded guilty to inciting subversion under the national security law for promoting a pro-Taiwan party and disseminating anti-Communist messages. The court heard he proclaimed the Taiwanese government as the legitimate regime and urged Hongkongers to support the Revive the Republic of China Freedom Party through social media and leaflets.

Hong Kong faces warnings of decline due to political and economic pressures, highlighted by Stephen Roach's assertion that the city is 'over.' The 2020 national security law and loss of political autonomy are cited as key factors undermining Hong Kong's economic prominence.

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong is scheduled for sentencing in September 2026 under a national security law for conspiring to collude with foreign forces. He was arrested in June 2025 and faces charges related to seeking foreign sanctions against Hong Kong or China between July 2020 and November 2020. Wong previously pleaded guilty in 2024 to a separate national security case and was sentenced to four years and eight months.

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong is set to be sentenced in September for a second national security case under a Beijing-imposed law.

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung is expected to plead guilty to conspiring with a fugitive former lawmaker to collude with foreign forces. The High Court has scheduled a plea and sentencing hearing for him on September 2.

Six years after Beijing imposed its National Security Law, many of Hong Kong's opposition voices have gone silent. Danny Vincent examines the changes in the city's political landscape.

Two Hong Kong men admitted joining a pro-independence group, citing asylum in Canada or curiosity as their motivation. They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit secession under Hong Kong's national security law for their involvement with the Hong Kong Democratic Independence Union between November 2024 and July last year.

Lam Wing-kee, a Hong Kong bookseller associated with a bookstore that sold materials critical of Chinese leaders, died in Taiwan at 70 after a cancer relapse. He was seized by Chinese authorities in 2015 and later moved to Taiwan in 2019, reopening the bookstore in 2020. His death occurred amid ongoing tensions over Hong Kong's autonomy and national security laws.

Hong Kong police arrested two individuals, including possibly Leticia Wong, owner of Hunter Bookstore, on suspicion of selling seditious publications and receiving foreign funds under a national security law. The arrests involve a shop in Sham Shui Po district and materials inciting hatred against government institutions, including a biography of jailed pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai.

A British court jailed two Chinese-British dual nationals for spying on Hong Kong dissidents in the UK on behalf of China. Peter Wai, a former UK Border Force official, and Bill Yuen, a retired Hong Kong policeman, were convicted of conducting surveillance and intelligence gathering against activists, with the Hong Kong government denying involvement.

Hong Kong’s top court dismissed a legal challenge against a law prohibiting calls to boycott the city’s 'patriots-only' elections, ruling the prohibition is necessary to counter 'organised campaigns' undermining the establishment following the national security law. The Court of Final Appeal judges unanimously decided criminalising incitement to undermine elections is essential for Beijing’s objective of ensuring stability.

Hong Kong authorities criticized The Washington Post for 'groundless allegations' regarding amendments to the city's national security law in an editorial. They emphasized that foreign businesses face no cause for concern.

A recent subsidiary legislation in Hong Kong outlines procedures for handling non-national security offences with national security considerations. The chief executive's authority, under the 2020 national security law, to determine if an act involves national security has sparked debate over whether the executive branch is the appropriate body for such decisions.

Hong Kong is refining its national security law to address loopholes by introducing subsidiary laws that clarify cases endangering national security, including a classification mechanism for such offenses. The move underscores Beijing's emphasis on ongoing national security priorities since the 2020 statute.

Hong Kong's government proposed legislation allowing the city leader to classify criminal acts as national security offenses, refining procedures for such designations. Critics argue this further erodes civil liberties, while authorities claim it is necessary for stability. The legislation does not create new powers but binds courts to the leader's security determinations.

A Hong Kong artist attempted to display a red thread to commemorate the Tiananmen Square crackdown but was stopped by police. The red thread, measuring 6.4 meters, referenced the June 4 date. Another artist was also detained for a symbolic gesture, highlighting Hong Kong's shrinking freedom of expression under the national security law.

A Hong Kong performance artist, Sanmu Chen, attempted to display a 6.4-meter red thread to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown but was stopped by police. Another artist, Chan Mei-tung, was also detained for holding a question-mark-shaped balloon. Public commemorations of the event in Hong Kong have become increasingly restricted since 2020, following the ban on annual vigils and the imposition of a national security law.

Jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai was awarded Germany's Deutsche Welle freedom of speech award in absentia for his contributions to the movement. The award ceremony will take place on 23 June at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn.