London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Exiled Hong Kong legislator calls for action after HSBC bank accounts frozen

Exiled Hong Kong legislator calls for action after HSBC bank accounts frozen

Ted Hui says move by UK’s biggest bank is act of ‘oppression’ as eight more democracy activists are arrested
A Hong Kong legislator who fled to Europe has called on regulators to investigate the actions of major banks including HSBC, after his accounts and those of his wife and parents were frozen.

Ted Hui is the latest pro-democracy figure to leave Hong Kong amid the escalating crackdown on dissent. Last week Jimmy Lai was denied bail, and Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, and Ivan Lam were jailed. On Monday, eight people were reportedly arrested by the national security police over a small and peaceful student rally at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) last month, including three accused of breaching the national security law.

Hui left Hong Kong for Denmark last week, before announcing that he and his family would not return. The family are now in the UK, where they plan to live in exile.

Hui revealed at the weekend that bank accounts belonging to him and his family had been frozen, which he labelled “political retaliation through economic oppression”.

Hui told Danish media he faced serious consequences, including lengthy prison terms, if he returned to Hong Kong and was convicted under the national security law.

Following an outcry, Hui said his family’s accounts were partially unfrozen late on Sunday. He said the family were moving funds to other institutions “because of their complete distrust in HSBC”, and he called on regulators to investigate and punish law enforcement officers and banking management who he accused of abusing the law.

On Monday, the HSBC accounts were frozen again, under police orders.

Steve Li, the senior superintendent of the Hong Kong police force’s national security department, said police were investigating suspected violations of the national security law, and that authorities had sought assistance from unnamed banks to freeze funds related to a crowdfunding operation tied to Hui.

“We found out that there were about HK$850,000 ... being pocketed by [Hui] and through some of the accounts owned by him and his relatives,” Li alleged.

Police also said Hui was also suspected of “foreign collusion” over social media posts in recent days seeking international support for Hong Kong. The same accusation has been levelled against several pro-democracy activists but so far without charges being brought.

In response, Hui accused the police of “political retaliation”. He denied misuse of the crowdsourced funds, which were raised to launch private prosecutions including against the police, until they were halted by the justice department in August. He said the funds were deposited into a lawyer’s account and posted an audit of the funds on Facebook.

Contacted for a response to Hui’s allegations, an HSBC spokeswoman referred the Guardian to the police statement. Earlier on Monday, a spokesman for the company had told other media the bank would not comment on individual cases but that the circumstances had been “misrepresented”.

“When banks are made aware of negative news in the market, they will enhance due diligence on the relevant accounts as part of their responsibility,” an HSBC spokeswoman told Reuters. “We have to abide by the laws of the jurisdiction in which we operate.”

Hui called on HSBC to clarify its comments about misrepresentation, saying his family had made complaints and kept records of dealings with the bank. “Under the national security law, how much are the banks and the business sector willing to sacrifice for the service of the regime?” he asked.

Hui earlier said the asset freezings reflected what banks could do “as a result of political pressure”, and this affected the credibility of Hong Kong as an international banking and finance hub. On Monday, the finance secretary, Paul Chan, rejected the assertion, saying Hong Kong remained “robust”. The Hang Sen index dropped more than 2%at Monday’s opening.

Johnny Patterson, the policy director at UK-based Hong Kong Watch, said the freezing of Hui’s accounts was “utterly unacceptable” and he accused HSBC of bowing to Beijing’s strategy of economic coercion.

“It forms part of the Chinese communist party’s alarming strategy to eradicate dissent in Hong Kong using every lever available from asset freezes to trumped up lawsuits. The British government should seriously consider applying sanctions in response.”

Hui is among the dozens of pro-democracy legislators who resigned en masse last month in response to the Beijing-led disqualification of four colleagues. He was facing multiple charges related to the pro-democracy protests and incidents during parliamentary debates. He was on bail when he left Hong Kong and had been granted permission to leave for Denmark.

Police commissioner Chris Tang Ping-keung accused Hui of “lacking a conscience” and fleeing after “inciting” protesters who might now face jail terms for rioting.

On Monday, local media reported that at least eight people had been arrested by the police’s national security unit over a peaceful demonstration held at CUHK late last month. Students had protested the university’s decision to move graduation ceremonies – which have often been used as protest platforms – online. Attendees wore masks and held signs bearing slogans including “Liberate Hong Kong: revolution of our time”, and “this revolution was ultimately won by no one, but please stay with us to witness it”.

On Monday afternoon, police said the individuals were arrested for unlawful assembly, and three for the national security offence of inciting secession. Senior superintendent Steve Li said the slogans and flags raised “national security concerns”.

Police had been called to the protest by university management.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×