A Hong Kong man has pleaded guilty to charges of secession, the third person to avoid fighting their case under a vague Beijing-drafted national security law at trial.
Tony Chung, 20, admitted seeking to separate Hong Kong from mainland China between July and October 2020 at the District Court on Wednesday, local news outlet iCable reported. That plea was part of a deal struck with prosecutors that also included submitting to money laundering charges relating to HK$133,000 ($17,000).
Chung faces as many as seven years in prison. Under the plea deal, two charges of money laundering and conspiracy to publish seditious publications will likely not be pursued, the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday.