Hong Kong’s next Chief Govt will likely be Beijing loyalist John Lee

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

Paul Yeung | Bloomberg | Getty Photographs

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

Lee, the only candidate for Hong Kong's high put up, won 1,416 votes in Sunday's election.

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

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

Hong Kong is a special administrative area of China which returned to Chinese language rule in 1997, after the U.K. handed over the former colony to Beijing. It is ruled beneath the "one nation, two systems" framework, and has restricted election rights and a largely separate legal and economic system.

Hong Kong's electoral system went by a serious overhaul last yr after Beijing stated that only so-called "patriots" must be allowed to control the city.

At a press convention after his election, Lee was requested if his performance will likely be "challenged by the dearth of electoral mandate and legitimacy in the eyes of some individuals."

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

"Anyone, who in line with the law is qualified, can participate and run for the election," he added.

Declaring that he garnered more than 1,400 votes, Lee mentioned: "With that number of support, after all, it encourages me and offers me the sturdy confidence that my course is agreed and shared by quite a lot of election committee members."

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

Bloomberg | Getty Photographs

In a be aware last week, analysts at Eurasia Group weighed in on Beijing's selection of Lee as the following Hong Kong chief.

"The choice of Lee, a career police officer who performed a number one function within the crackdown on the pro-democracy protests that started in 2019, indicates that Beijing's high precedence for Hong Kong is maintaining political safety moderately than preserving its position as a dynamic global hub," they stated.

"Lee's appointment will reinforce Hong Kong's shift from being a world monetary and enterprise middle to playing a narrower function as a capital gateway for China," Eurasia's analysts mentioned. "Whereas the dangers to political and financial stability are modest, Lee's administration may be poorly geared up to respond 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 and blunt its unfold. The town tightened restrictions additional in February as new circumstances raged, but began easing slightly in late April.

The election was earlier postponed resulting from a surge in Covid cases within the Asian monetary hub.

I make it a very clear level that I am very acutely aware of the must be accessible to the world. And likewise it is a crucial thing for Hong Kong to be able to resume normal journey with the mainland.

John Lee

Hong Kong's incoming chief government

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

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

"I make it a really clear level that I am very acutely aware of the have to be accessible to the world. And also it is an important thing for Hong Kong to be able to resume normal travel with the mainland."

He said he will be speaking to his counterparts in Beijing "to search out out what are the conditions that can be required for normal journey to be resumed with the mainland."

Lee additionally known as on citizens to comply with the recommendation and measures of the federal government, and mentioned the city will seek to spice up its vaccination fee. Based on government statistics, more than 91% of the inhabitants above the age of 12 have obtained their first vaccine dose as of Saturday, and 85.2% have received 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 mentioned in a press launch. "The current-term government and I will guarantee a seamless transition with the Chief Government-elect. We are going to render all of the assist needed for the belief of office by the new time period of government."

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