Hong Kong's best-known young democracy activist has pleaded guilty to a national security charge that could put him away for life, a bad sign for anyone still hoping Beijing will ease its grip on the city.

• Joshua Wong admitted to conspiring with exiled activist Nathan Law and others in 2020 to push foreign governments to sanction Hong Kong and China.
• The charge carries three to ten years, or life if judges call the case serious; sentencing has been pushed to a later date.
• Wong is already serving nearly five years in a separate security case and had been due out in early 2027.
• Amnesty International Taiwan and other groups protested outside Taiwan's parliament, arguing the plea is a way to cut the sentence, not an admission of guilt.
• They want Hong Kong to drop the charges and want Taiwan's government to speak up publicly.

Outlook: Wong will likely stay behind bars well past his original release date, and the case will keep straining Taiwan-China relations.