A memorial bench for the 168 victims of Hong Kong's Wang Fuk Court fire thst occurred in November of last year has been spotted at the Victoria Embankment Gardens in London. A kind gesture in memory of a preventable tragedy. Photo by Catch Mouse in London, via Facebook

"Over the past two years, Hong Kong authorities have been introducing more surveillance technologies without hiccups at the 'patriots only' legislature – and without protest."

Sharp Eyes: Mass surveillance of foreigners in China - Part 1 A publicly exposed web front reveals new details on a tracking system for foreigners and delivers many insight into the capabilities of security organs to track individuals in real time. NetAskari netaskari.substack.com/p/sharp-eyes...

Andrew Badger, a former CIA case officer, talks about China’s united front work and espionage operations in the United States. bbc.com/audio/play/w...

"Ms Parker said China's rapid investment in undersea surveillance and nuclear submarines showed the underwater domain would be central to future conflict." www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05...

"The crew are part of China's 'maritime militia', a shadowy, state-funded fleet that acts as a 'third maritime force', in addition to the PLA Navy and the China Coast Guard, according to Dr Poling, director of the CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative." www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

"Myanmar junta leaders, like other illicit regimes and corrupt leaders around the world, follow similar patterns: steal wealth through corruption, use family members and corporate entities to launder the proceeds, then conceal and store it in foreign real estate." www.abc.net.au/news/2026-04...

First shared online last year, now in print. Salute to all court spectators who stand strong, and together, in the political trials in Hong Kong. 🙏 www.tandfonline.com/eprint/SXXPH...

BREAKING: Veteran Hong Kong democracy activist Koo Sze-yiu dies aged 80 🔗 buff.ly/gEYR9BS

Trump claims to be helping the Iranian people, but attacks on infrastructure have only made their suffering worse. www.bbc.com/news/live/c3...

Drawing on Earl’s framework of political repression, I conceptualise economic repression, a set of covert and overt tactics that fall short of political arrest and prosecution, which aim to eliminate, convert, and/or silence dissenting business behaviour in the context of Hong Kong.

Hong Kong indie bookshop founder, 3 staff members granted bail after national security arrests 🔗 hongkongfp.com/2026/03/26/h...

My copy of The Troublemaker!

"'While the Australian government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said." www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Csergo’s case shows that ASIO’s concerns about foreign interference are not false alarms. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Iranian refugee shot while trying to disarm one of the Bondi shooters is to be deported from #Australia… Click link www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

Fascinating analysis, frustrating reality! "China’s minerals dominance is a product of sustained state intervention across the entire value chain...Keeping up with China requires grappling not just with mining or processing capacity, but with the political economy that underpins both these fields."

Authoritarian countries often hold the family members of dissidents as hostages. The Iranian girl must be under tremendous pressure. May she be safe upon returning home. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...

⚡️IPC bars Ukrainian team from wearing uniform featuring map of Ukraine at the Winter Paralympics. The International Paralympic Committee barred Ukraine’s Paralympic team from wearing their ceremonial uniform for the upcoming Winter Games, saying the design featuring a map of Ukraine was political.

Using cases of BRI projects during Myanmar's reform period, this article argues that CN state-owned enterprises’ engagement behaviour was subject to their external environments. Local resistance could regulate the CN investors' business practices on the ground. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has was sentenced to 20 years in jail on Monday following his conviction on foreign collusion and sedition charges. Full story: buff.ly/6MkP1zn

Sentencing Jimmy Lai, 78, to 20 years amounts to a de facto life imprisonment. #AppleDaily #HongKong #NSL #JournalismIsNotACrime www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...

Market strikes are rare in social movements. They often indicate a new level of political tension. www.bbc.com/news/article...

My book review of Professor Ming-sho Ho's Be Water: Collective Improvisation in Hong Kong’s Anti-Extradition Protests. The book is not only beautifully written and insightful, its exceptional access to data and thorough research analysis are also remarkable. www.tandfonline.com/eprint/TBUSN...

#OpenAccess - Economic instruments of political control: Hong Kong businesses under China’s comprehensive jurisdiction - https://cup.org/3XWo4r5 - Debby Sze Wan Chan #FirstView

My commentary on China’s rare earth mining in Myanmar. The Global North countries should acknowledge the multi-layered inequalities in the rare earth supply chains as they pursue a green energy transition.

This is shocking: "One of Thailand’s top art galleries removed, at China's request, materials about Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities and Hong Kong from an exhibit on authoritarian governments" www.reuters.com/world/china/...

A jury has ruled that a taxi driver - who became paralysed after an alleged chokehold during his arrest - died from an "unlawful killing." In full: buff.ly/YXahV2j

Vice Minister Julius Pranevičius at High-Level Conference: 🇱🇹 fully supports the two-state solution in line with international law. We will maintain development projects in 🇵🇸 & call for full adherence to #IHL. Humanitarian aid to Gaza must resume & Hamas must release all hostages without delay.

1/ 🚨BREAKING: The League of Social Democrats, one of Hong Kong’s last remaining pro-democracy groups, will soon disband, a source familiar with the matter has told @hongkongfp.com. hongkongfp.com/2025/06/25/b... The political party will reportedly make an announcement about its shutdown on Sunday.

On her 80th birthday, I wish Daw Aung San Suu Kyi excellent health to witness the success of the Spring Revolution. With the determination and sacrifice of the Myanmar people, may justice prevail soon. www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/g...

Today is pro-democracy politician and imprisoned activist Lam Cheuk-ting's birthday.

6 years ago today 1 million people in Hong Kong took to the streets in opposition of the proposed extradition bill. A few of my photos from that very long day. © Dave Coulson Photography #hongkong #hkprotest #antielab

Link to updated article. Note: The now 28 year old "has already spent over 1,600 days in prison after he was remanded in custody on November 23, 2020, over a separate case of unauthorised assembly" and was given a 4 1/2 year prison sentence last year as a member of the Hong Kong 47. 😔

Excerpt of review of my book from JF Books newsletter jfbooks.org/pages/jf-boo... —I’ll launch the book at that great DC store one week from today, the book’s official pub date

The fact that the Junta is still carrying out airstrikes after the earthquake hit, is so telling about their priorities. over 1600 dead from the earthquake. If you going to donate to the aid efforts make sure it's going to the people & not via the Junta.

🇭🇰 🇲🇲 🫨 Hong Kong is deploying a search-and-rescue team to Myanmar after Friday's earthquake. Chief Executive John Lee announced the deployment on Facebook at midday Saturday, with the team assembling at HKIA by 3pm.

Some of the Russia-themed supermarkets sell Chinese products in the guise of Russian products, but this new store in Hong Kong is backed by the Russian consulate. Curious to know how the business & the banks manage sanction compliance in HK.

The Trump administration has terminated $800 million in grants to Johns Hopkins University, spurring the nation’s top spender on research and development to plan layoffs and cancel health projects

The talk illuminates the future of Hong Kong's international financial centre status, & sheds light on the city's sanction compliance amid the US-China strategic competition. Speaker: Prof. Ho-fung Hung (Johns Hopkins Univ.) Date: 18 March Time: 5:30pm Venue: ANU ciw.anu.edu.au/event/politi...

New piece out today with Asian Perspective. Thanks to Brian Fong for putting together the special issue & Hung Ho-Fung for overseeing the process. Honored to be appearing w/ colleagues 吳介民 , Deborah Brautigam, Thomas Fingar, David Lampton, 查道炯 (& more!) in the same issue. muse.jhu.edu/issue/54346

HK's top court has ruled in favour of three Tiananmen vigil activists after they appealed against their convictions over failing to assist with a national security investigation. In full: buff.ly/FksIuNI

Exclusive: China will be “the main beneficiary” of Trump's policies, including his decision to align with Russia over Ukraine A long, fascinating interview with Dmytro Kuleba by me and Laura Zhou that sheds new light on how Kyiv views Beijing's role in the 3-year war www.scmp.com/news/china/d...

Trump's mercantilism strikes again.

A dove? 😑

We want the war in Ukraine to end, but not on Trump & Russia's terms. The political opportunities seem to be structural. It doesn't mean that we can't generate resources to resist the powerholders. #StandwithUkraine 🇺🇦

Hong Kong’s oldest pro-democracy party, which became an influential voice of opposition before Beijing cracked down on dissent, will start preparations to shut down, its leader has said. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

Hong Kong’s Democratic Party will not rule out discussion on potentially disbanding during an upcoming meeting on Thursday, its chairperson Lo Kin-hei has said following reports that the party may shut down. In full: https://buff.ly/4hK2RJ3 Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

One year has passed since Alexei Navalny was murdered in Putin's prison. Lithuania reiterates the ultimate responsibility of the Kremlin regime for this and multiple other crimes. Joint statement: www.urm.lt/en/news/928/joint-statement-on-the-first-anniversary-of-navalnys-death:43693

Alexei Navalny was a courageous and charismatic opposition leader. He continues to fight against Putin through his memoir and activist networks. 🕯️