China prosecutes first overseas national for Hong Kong interference

Belizean businessman arrested in November prosecuted for interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs and endangering Chinese national security

Guangzhou national security bureau wraps up investigation

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China has prosecuted a foreign national accused of interfering in Hong Kong affairs. Photo: AFP

Published: 10:40am, 24 Apr 2020Updated: 1:29pm, 28 Apr 2020

China has prosecuted an overseas national for interfering in Hong Kong affairs and activities that endanger China’s national security, according to mainland media.

The Belize citizen, Lee Henley Hu Xiang, is the first overseas national to be charged with working with foreign groups to intervene in Hong Kong.

Lee was arrested in the southern mainland city of Guangzhou on November 26. At that time, Southern Daily said he was a Belizean businessman living in China, and had funded key members of hostile forces in the US to undermine China’s national security. He was also accused of supporting activities that led to chaos in Hong Kong.

Guangzhou Daily reported that the city’s national security bureau had wrapped up its investigation on Thursday and transferred Lee’s case to the Guangzhou People’s Procuratorate for prosecution.

The report said Lee had long been providing capital to anti-China groups based in the US, colluding with foreign forces to interfere in Hong Kong affairs, and had supported activities that endangered China’s national security.

Hong Kong has been embroiled in prolonged social unrest, including violent protests, since June last year in opposition to a now-withdrawn bill that would have allowed the extradition of Hong Kong people to places with no jurisdiction treaty with the city, including mainland China.

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