Australia Grants Asylum to Former Hong Kong Lawmaker Ted Hui

Australia has granted asylum to Ted Hui Chifung, a former Hong Kong lawmaker and prominent prodemocracy figure, with visas also issued to his wife, children and parents. Hui announced the decision on social media, saying he received written notice from the Department of Home Affairs. He described his relief at the protection, but also spoke of sadness at being separated from his homeland, noting that political refugees “have no home.”

Hui left Hong Kong in late 2020 after facing criminal charges tied to the 2019 prodemocracy protests. In 2023, Hong Kong authorities accused him and seven others of national security offenses, including incitement to secession, and issued bounties on their heads. The bounties, set in the hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars, underscored the severity with which the city and Beijing have pursued dissidents linked to the 2019 demonstrations.

The Australian government’s decision comes as Canberra has sought to balance its ties with China with concerns over Hong Kong’s political climate and the broad reach of its national security law. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had visited Beijing the previous month as part of an effort to stabilize...