Woman, 35, to deny making false statement to secure Hong Kong study permit
Court schedules Xie Qing’s trial for December after lawyer says she intends to plead not guilty to the charges
A 35-year-old woman accused of falsely claiming to have studied at a top US university to secure a Hong Kong study permit plans to plead not guilty, with her trial set to take place in December.
A plea hearing for Xie Qing was scheduled for November 26 after her counsel told Sha Tin Court on Wednesday that she intended to deny the charges of making a false statement to obtain an entry permit and services by deception.
Xie, from mainland China, allegedly made the false statement in July 2023 to obtain a study entry permit in Hong Kong, in which she claimed to have attended the University of California, Berkeley, between September 2009 and December 2012.
Acting Principal Magistrate Cheang Kei-hon scheduled her plea for November 26, with her three-day trial set to take place between December 3 and 5. Cheang also noted that Xie, who has been granted bail, would require a Mandarin translator during the process.
The prosecution indicated that it would call eight witnesses to testify during the trial, while the defendant would call two.
A man accompanying Xie for Wednesday’s hearing raised his arms to block a Post reporter from taking her photo outside the courthouse.