Hong Kong’s next Chief Government shall be Beijing loyalist John Lee

John Lee, a pro-Beijing loyalist who is the one candidate for Hong Kong's top post, has been elected to be Hong Kong's next chief executive.

Paul Yeung | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs

John Lee, a Beijing loyalist, has been elected to be Hong Kong's next chief executive.

Lee, the only candidate for Hong Kong's top submit, gained 1,416 votes in Sunday's election.

About 1,500 members of a largely pro-Beijing election committee solid their votes to pick out the new chief. Lee only wanted a simple majority to win.

The 64-year-old Lee, who was formerly Hong Kong's chief secretary, will begin his five-year term on July 1, changing outgoing Chief Govt Carrie Lam.

Hong Kong is a particular administrative area of China which returned to Chinese language rule in 1997, after the U.Ok. handed over the former colony to Beijing. It is ruled below the "one country, two techniques" framework, and has limited election rights and a mostly separate authorized and financial system.

Hong Kong's electoral system went by means of a major overhaul last year after Beijing said that solely so-called "patriots" needs to be allowed to control the town.

At a press convention after his election, Lee was asked if his efficiency can be "challenged by the shortage of electoral mandate and legitimacy in the eyes of some folks."

His reply was that his election was "run in accordance with the legal guidelines of Hong Kong."

"Anybody, who in keeping with the legislation is certified, can participate and run for the election," he added.

Pointing out that he garnered greater than 1,400 votes, Lee mentioned: "With that variety of help, in fact, it encourages me and provides me the strong confidence that my direction is agreed and shared by lots of election committee members."

John Lee, a Beijing loyalist, has been picked to be town's subsequent chief executive.

Bloomberg | Getty Pictures

In a notice final week, analysts at Eurasia Group weighed in on Beijing's selection of Lee as the subsequent Hong Kong leader.

"The number of Lee, a profession police officer who performed a number one role within the crackdown on the pro-democracy protests that began in 2019, signifies that Beijing's prime precedence for Hong Kong is sustaining political security reasonably than preserving its function as a dynamic global hub," they stated.

"Lee's appointment will reinforce Hong Kong's shift from being a worldwide financial and business middle to playing a narrower position as a capital gateway for China," Eurasia's analysts mentioned. "While the risks to political and financial stability are modest, Lee's administration could also be poorly equipped to reply to a significant shock."

In keeping with China's Covid-19 coverage, Hong Kong has a so-called "dynamic zero" technique for the virus and imposed strict measures in January in an try to blunt its spread. The town tightened restrictions further in February as new instances raged, but began easing slightly in late April.

The election was earlier postponed because of a surge in Covid cases in the Asian monetary hub.

I make it a really clear point that I'm very conscious of the have to be accessible to the world. And likewise it is a vital factor for Hong Kong to have the ability to resume regular journey with the mainland.

John Lee

Hong Kong's incoming chief govt

At the press convention, Lee was also asked how he'll show the worldwide community that Hong Kong is open for business.

"Sure, we have challenges now because of the need to control Covid-19 and a number of the measures are indeed creating inconvenience," he acknowledged.

"I make it a really clear point that I'm very conscious of the have to be accessible to the world. And in addition it is an important factor for Hong Kong to be able to resume normal travel with the mainland."

He stated he will be talking to his counterparts in Beijing "to find out what are the circumstances that might be required for normal journey to be resumed with the mainland."

Lee additionally called on citizens to follow the recommendation and measures of the government, and stated town will search to boost its vaccination price. Based on government statistics, more than 91% of the population above the age of 12 have received their first vaccine dose as of Saturday, and 85.2% have obtained their second dose.

Hong Kong's outgoing chief executive Lam congratulated Lee on Sunday.

"I prolong my honest congratulations to Mr John Lee on his profitable election," she said in a press release. "The current-term authorities and I'll ensure a seamless transition with the Chief Govt-elect. We'll render all the support wanted for the assumption of workplace by the new time period of presidency."

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that John Lee gained 1,416 votes in Hong Kong's chief government election. An earlier version of the story misrepresented that determine.