A Hong Kong man with Portuguese nationality was jailed for five years on Thursday for "incitement to secession," the first dual national convicted under the city's Beijing-made national security law.
Joseph John, also known as Wong Kin-chung, pleaded guilty in February to the charge, admitting that he was the chairperson of the now-dissolved Britain-based Hong Kong Independence Party. He was also an administrator for the party's six online platforms.
The guiding principles of the little-known group included "declaring China's illegal occupation of Hong Kong," "inviting the U.K. and the U.S. to send troops to Hong Kong," and calling for the city to be an "independent member state of the Commonwealth," the court was told.