He’s an Australian-Chinese man, to be totally accurate… And yesterday, Australian officials confirmed he has spent the last 11 months in jail and could face life in prison after being charged under Hong Kong’s national security laws. The unnamed man was arrested for ‘conspiring to subvert state power’ on 6 January last year. China watchers say that suggests he was one of the 47 pro-democracy activists and politicians detained that day as part of China’s crackdown on troublemakers in Hong Kong. Our Foreign Affairs Department says its officials have been denied the opportunity to give consular assistance to the man because dual citizenship is no longer recognised in the territory. Officials are in “regular contact” with his lawyers and will “continue to attend future court hearings,” they say. More than 160 people in Hong Kong have been arrested under controversial laws since they were implemented in 2020.