Top News
Imprisoned Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong, 28, was charged with “collusion with foreign forces” under the 2020 National Security Law (NSL). Wong is accused of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and “other persons unknown” between July 1 and November 23, 2020, to request that international sanctions be imposed against Hong Kong or China. A court hearing is scheduled for August 8.
The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation echoed U.S. State Department calls for Joshua Wong’s immediate release.
Joshua Wong, pictured here in 2019, could face life in prison if he is convicted of foreign collusion. (Studio Incendo)
On Thursday, national security authorities launched an investigation into six more people and an organisation on suspicion of “collusion with foreign forces” between November 2020 and June 2024 under the Hong Kong National Security Law.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said safeguarding national security should become a “culture,” and promised to improve public education and train more officers to counter what authorities claim is foreign interference.
Hong Kong
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) sent letters to restaurants, entertainment, and other businesses indicating that engaging in acts contrary to national security could see them lose their licences.
Game over: National security police warned Hong Kongers not to download “Reversed Front: Bonfire,” a video game that advocates for “armed revolution” and the overthrow of the CCP. The game is available outside of China and Hong Kong here.
A new exhibition marking five years of the Beijing-imposed NSL has opened, featuring an exhibit detailing the charges against 19 Hong Kongers issued with HK$1 million extraterritorial bounties, including CFHK Foundation staffers Chloe Cheung and Frances Hui.
Morgan Davis, the Asia bonds editor at International Financing Review, replaced Lee Williamson of the South China Morning Post as the head of Hong Kong’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club.
China Labour Bulletin announced that due to a “shortage of funds and debt problems,” the organisation can no longer maintain operations and has decided to dissolve itself. For decades, the Hong Kong-based organisation supported the workers’ movement in China and the struggle for fair pay, dignity, and rights.
North America – Hong Kong
Sebastien Lai held talks in Ottawa and Toronto about the continued incarceration of his father, Jimmy Lai, amid intensifying calls for Canada to adopt the imprisoned 77-year-old as an honorary citizen, and to lead the drafting of a joint communique calling for his release over the course of a three-day G7 summit in Kananaskis that starts June 15.
In Toronto, Sebastien Lai, CFHK Foundation Board Member Perry Link, human rights lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, and Jason Rezaian, a journalist previously detained in Iran, provided insights for a panel discussion on “Political Prisoners: Are They Still a Priority for the World’s Democracies?”
CFHK Foundation Strategy and Public Affairs Advisor Shannon Van Sant met with democracy activists in Toronto, and spoke with Ed Chin for his YouTube show about our work, including efforts to free Jimmy Lai.
Hong Kong Watch launched a new report at a Hudson Institute panel event in Washington, D.C. “Risky Business: how sanctioned entities access capital via Hong Kong” reveals the extent to which sanctioned People’s Republic of China companies are raising international capital on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
(Left to right) Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Michael Sobolik, Hong Kong Watch Senior Research and Policy Advisor Thomas Benson, Samuel Bickett, author of our ‘Beneath the Harbor: Hong Kong’s Leading Role in Sanctions Evasion’ report, and Joey Siu, National Democratic Institute Program Associate.
After the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran recently ordered thousands of tons of ballistic-missile ingredients from Hong Kong-based Lion Commodities Holdings, consistent with research in our “Beneath the Harbor: Hong Kong’s Leading Role in Sanctions Evasion” report, CFHK Foundation called on U.S. Congress to immediately pass the Stop CCP Money Laundering Act.
For The Bureau, Sam Cooper interviewed CFHK Foundation Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Frances Hui to call attention to a Boston jury’s acquittal of a Chinese immigrant accused of covertly acting as an agent for Beijing in a stalking and intimidation campaign that targeted her.
In Washington D.C., Frances Hui spoke at a panel discussion on Hong Kong’s emergence as a sanctions-evasion hub organised by the National Endowment for Democracy and the Congressional Executive Commission on China.
UK – Hong Kong
In the Financial Times, Sebastien Lai accused Keir Starmer’s government of weakness over its failure to stand up for his father.
During a debate in British parliament, Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP tabled an urgent question asking why the government is allowing the CCP to build a mega-embassy on top of sensitive infrastructure after the U.S. and Dutch governments objected to the plan.
🔥Flame of Freedom Blogs
The Unlearned Lessons of Tiananmen: China’s Overreach and the World’s Complicity
This blog is authored by James Joseph, a human rights advocate and the Founder and Director of The Duty Legacy and The Alliance for the Prevention of Atrocity Crimes.
“The Tiananmen Square Massacre remains a stark reminder of the costs of unchecked authoritarianism. The CCP’s ability to erase its memory, crush dissent in Hong Kong, and perpetrate crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and Tibet reflects a failure to hold it accountable early on. While civil society and some governments have shown resolve, economic dependencies and China’s global influence have muted effective responses. The world’s partial learning from Tiananmen’s lessons—evident in sanctions and growing awareness—must translate into sustained action. By prioritising human rights over short-term gains, supporting activists, and preserving historical memory, the international community can honour the victims of Tiananmen and prevent further erosion of global human rights standards. The resilience of those who continue to resist, from the Tiananmen Mothers to Hong Kong’s jailed democrats, offers hope but only if the world finally listens.”
Read the full blog here.