The Hong Kong government has formally summoned British and Australian diplomats after both countries granted asylum to prominent pro-democracy figures, prompting a furious response from Chinese and Hong Kong authorities.
The UK has offered asylum to 24-year-old Tony Chung, a former student leader and one of the youngest activists wanted under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law.
Meanwhile, ex-legislator Ted Hui has been granted refuge in Australia, drawing intense criticism from officials in Beijing and the Hong Kong administration.
“After more than a year and a half of waiting, I can finally try to start a new life,” Mr Chung shared on Facebook, alongside a photo of a UK Home Office letter confirming his refugee status.
Mr Chung, who once led the now-defunct student group Studentlocalism, was arrested multiple times for his involvement in the 2019 anti-government protests.
In 2021, he was sentenced to 43 months in prison on charges of secession and money laundering. Prior to that, he served four months for allegedly insulting the Chinese national flag.
After breaching a supervision order, Chung fled Hong Kong and sought asylum in Britain, citing the constant pressure he faced in the city.
“I was very happy when I first came to the UK. I am happy that after more than three years, I was finally able to speak for Hong Kong again. I did not allow myself to rest because I felt that I could not waste the space of free speech,” he said.
Chung’s emotional post touched many in the Hong Kong diaspora, as he voiced both gratitude and anxiety over the freedom he now has.
“This means that we accept you have a well-founded fear of persecution and therefore cannot return to your country…,” the letter from the UK Home Office read.
Just a day before Chung’s announcement, Ted Hui, a former Hong Kong legislator, confirmed he had been granted asylum in Australia.
Mr Hui left Hong Kong in December 2020 and initially arrived in Europe. By March 2021, during Australia’s COVID-era travel restrictions, he became the first Hong Kong politician to receive a special exemption to enter the country.
He was convicted in absentia in 2022 for participating in a pro-democracy protest and sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison by a Hong Kong court.
“I have received formal notification from the Australian Department of Home Affairs that I have been granted asylum in Australia,” Hui announced on Saturday.
The Hong Kong government accused both the UK and Australia of “harbouring criminals” and summoned their envoys, British consul-general Brian Davidson and Australian consul-general Gareth Williams, for formal protests.
Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Eric Chan condemned the asylum decisions: “[S]uch harbouring effectively allows certain individuals or organisations to be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts, which is no different from granting a special privilege to break the law.”
He insisted that the arrest warrants were “fully justified, necessary and legitimate”, rejecting any suggestion of political persecution.
China’s foreign ministry joined in the rebuke. Spokesperson Mao Ning urged Australia to stop meddling in China’s domestic affairs.
“Immediately cease interfering in Hong Kong affairs and China’s internal affairs in any form,” she said, as reported by Global Times.
While she didn’t mention Australia directly, her remarks came in direct response to questions about Hui’s asylum.
The back-to-back asylum grants highlight a wider exodus of Hong Kong activists, lawyers and rights defenders since the imposition of Beijing’s national security law in 2020.
Dozens have resettled in the UK, Canada, and Australia, fearing arrest, surveillance, and harsh sentencing in their home city.
This latest diplomatic clash underscores growing tensions between China and Western nations over how the law has been used to silence dissent and raises the question: how far will democratic countries go in standing up for Hong Kong’s political exiles?
Stay tuned to UK News Blog for more updates on international diplomacy, human rights, and the future of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement.
