A second Chinese lawyer involved in defending a Hong Kong democracy activist charged with illegally leaving the territory said Tuesday he had lost his license. Ren Quanniu, who represented one of 12 people caught attempting to flee Hong Kong to Taiwan by boat last August, showed AFP a court notice revoking his right to practice. Lu Siwei, who was served alongside Ren on the case, had his licence stripped last month. In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US was "deeply concerned" about the disbarment of the two lawyers. "We urge Beijing to respect human rights and the rule of law and to reinstate their legal credentials at once," he wrote on Twitter.