‘I don’t expect to live a normal life’: how a Leeds teenager woke up with a Chinese bounty on her head

On Christmas Eve 2024, 19-year-old Chloe Cheung was in her bedroom in Leeds, England, when she discovered that Chinese authorities had placed a bounty on her head. While browsing Instagram, she was suddenly flooded with messages from former classmates telling her to check the news.

Media across East Asia were reporting that Cheung had been labeled a threat to national security by Hong Kong officials. A reward of HK$1 million (around £94,000) was offered for information leading to her arrest.

The only photo the authorities had of her was one taken when she was just 11 years old — before she and her family moved to the UK in 2020. “I barely recognized myself,” she said.

Cheung, who had recently finished her A-levels, was working as a communications assistant for a UK-based group promoting democracy in Hong Kong. She was stunned that Chinese authorities would go after a teenager thousands of miles away. But the consequences became clear quickly, as friends began cutting ties with her both online and in real life. “Even friends in Leeds said they couldn’t be associated with me because they wanted to be able to visit Hong Kong again,” she said.

Cheung had hoped to take a gap year and visit friends in Hong Kong, but that became impossible after Beijing announced it would pursue her and others like her “for life.” She believes the bounty is a form of intimidation: “It’s psychological warfare — a message that there’s nowhere safe for those who speak out, even teenagers.”

Despite the risks, Cheung refuses to stay silent.

Growing up in Hong Kong, she says she was once deeply patriotic. But the massive pro-democracy protests of 2019–2020 changed her views. Initially expecting peaceful demonstrations, she recalls being just 14 years old when she witnessed police using tear gas, rubber bullets, and brutal force on protesters. “Everything I thought I knew was a lie,” she said. “I felt deceived.”

Thousands were arrested during the crackdown. Though Cheung’s parents were not politically active, they saw the danger and decided to relocate their family to the UK for their children’s safety.

In Leeds, Cheung focused on her studies, later earning strong A-level results in maths and economics. At 18, she submitted testimony to the UN about the experiences of women during the protests. That led her to meet the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong, where she landed a job and began speaking publicly — using her real name — to politicians and the media.

Cheung believes her growing public profile was what drew the attention of Chinese officials. After the arrest warrant and bounty were issued, she briefly considered stepping back from activism — but decided against it. “If I stop now, I’ll just be showing I’m scared,” she said.

Since then, Cheung has endured harassment, including being followed by two suspicious men and receiving online abuse. She now keeps a low profile, has changed her address, and is cautious about new acquaintances. She cited the 2022 assault on a protester at the Chinese consulate in Manchester as an example of the real risks activists face.

Cheung knows her activism has limited her career prospects. “Any company with ties to China won’t hire me,” she said. “I probably won’t live a normal life. But compared to people jailed in Hong Kong, my sacrifice is small.”

Still, she remains committed: “I want to see a free Hong Kong. If I can help in any way by speaking out, it’s worth it.”

In response, the Hong Kong government labeled Cheung an “absconder” wanted for threatening national security and vowed to pursue her “regardless of distance.”

Source: THE GUARDIAN