On 10 April 2025, officers from the Hong Kong Police Force’s National Security Department conducted an operation in Sha Tin, taking away the parents of exiled activist Frances Hui Wing-ting for questioning. Sources suggest that, beyond investigating Hui’s alleged “collusion with external forces to endanger national security,” the move is being interpreted as a retaliatory action by the Hong Kong government in response to the latest tariff war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Frances Hui, who has been living in exile in the United States since 2020, became the first Hong Konger to be granted political asylum there in 2022. She founded the organisation “We The Hongkongers” abroad, advocating tirelessly for Hong Kong’s human rights and democracy on the international stage, while repeatedly urging the U.S. to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong. In December 2023, the National Security Department issued a £100,000 bounty for her arrest, and in December 2024, she was designated a “specified absconder.” This latest action against her parents follows a previous instance in December 2023 when her mother was questioned.
The timing of this operation has drawn significant attention, coinciding with U.S. President Trump’s announcement on 2 April 2025 of a new round of “reciprocal tariffs,” imposing a 34% levy on goods from mainland China, including Hong Kong, purportedly to “protect American economic and national security interests.” Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po, swiftly criticised the measure, arguing it would undermine Hong Kong’s position as a global trade hub. Analysts speculate that this operation targeting Hui’s parents may be intended to signal a hardline stance to the U.S., using national security enforcement as a countermeasure to American economic pressure.
Insiders claim the investigation focuses on Hui’s funding sources for her activities in the U.S. and her connections with overseas organisations. Police questioned Hui’s parents separately at two Sha Tin police stations, though no information has been released regarding whether they will face formal detention or charges.
Responding via social media from the U.S., Hui condemned the move, stating, “The Hong Kong government is using my family as hostages to threaten me and all overseas Hongkongers.” She called for international attention to what she described as Hong Kong’s “transnational repression.”
Political commentator Mr. Lee remarked that Hong Kong’s role in the U.S.-China trade war is growing increasingly complex. While Hong Kong lacks direct diplomatic ties with the U.S., as a Special Administrative Region of China, its government may have been directed by Beijing to act, projecting defiance on the global stage amid U.S. economic provocations. “This action against Hui’s parents is both an extension of the National Security Law and potentially a piece in the U.S.-China chess game,” he added.
A Hong Kong Police spokesperson declined to directly address any connection between the operation and the U.S. tariff war, stating only that “the National Security Department will continue to combat acts endangering national security in accordance with the law.” The incident has sparked debate locally and internationally, with some expressing concern that Hong Kong’s enforcement actions could further escalate U.S.-China tensions, while others question the government’s autonomy and role in the trade conflict.
