Australia has granted political asylum to former Hong Kong legislator Ted Hui Chi-fung, four years after he fled the city during a crackdown on the 2019 pro-democracy protests. Hui, now based in Adelaide, said the Department of Home Affairs formally notified him of the decision on 17 August. The 42-year-old was convicted in absentia in 2022 on protest-related charges and faces a 3½-year prison sentence as well as a HK$1 million bounty issued by Hong Kong police in 2023. The Hong Kong government condemned the move, accusing Canberra of "harbouring criminals" and warning that countries offering shelter to fugitives "show contempt for the rule of law." Chinese state media and commentators echoed the criticism, urging Australia to stop "interfering in China's internal affairs." The dispute threatens to add fresh friction to China-Australia relations, which the Albanese government has sought to stabilise after years of trade and diplomatic tension. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Beijing last month, where President Xi Jinping said ties had "risen from setbacks and turned around." Separately, London granted asylum to activist Tony Chung Hon-lam under similar circumstances, drawing a parallel rebuke from Hong Kong authorities. The twin decisions underscore a widening rift between Western democracies and Beijing over the treatment of opposition figures in the former British colony.