Joshua Wong, a 29-year-old pro-democracy activist in Hong Kong, pleaded guilty to a national security charge of collusion with foreign entities on September 2, 2026, at Hong Kong’s High Court in Admiralty [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The charge alleges that Wong conspired with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and others to seek sanctions, blockades, or hostile actions from foreign governments and institutions against Hong Kong and China during the period from July 1 to November 23, 2020 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. Prosecutors said the collusion aimed to seriously disrupt the implementation of laws or policies in Hong Kong and mainland China [1, 4, 6].
Wong admitted that he instigated international sanctions and urged foreign companies to boycott certain police-related services, pointing to activities including his 2016 visit to the United States to promote the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act [8].
At court, Wong wore a dark blue shirt and black-rimmed glasses. After pleading guilty before a government-appointed national security judge, he smiled and nodded in response to a supporter who shouted "hang in there!" [4, 5, 6, 7].
Wong is already serving a nearly five-year sentence for a previous conviction on national security charges related to subversion linked to an unofficial primary election in 2020 [1, 2, 4, 5, 6]. His current sentence was expected to end in 2026 or 2027, but the new guilty plea could extend his prison term possibly up to life imprisonment [1, 4, 5, 6, 7].
Wong first rose to international prominence as a student leader during the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests. He later played an active role in mass pro-democracy rallies in 2019 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9]. Alongside Nathan Law and Agnes Chow, he co-founded the now-disbanded Demosisto party, which campaigned for Hong Kong self-determination until banned under Beijing’s national security law in 2020 [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9].
Wong said in previous statements, "I will continue to defend my home – Hong Kong – until they silence me and eliminate me from this land" [1].
The court date on September 2 marks a key development in Wong's ongoing legal battles under the sweeping national security law enacted by Beijing. Further sentencing details are expected in upcoming proceedings [1, 4].
