Hong Kong’s subsequent Chief Govt will probably be Beijing loyalist John Lee

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

Paul Yeung | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures

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

Lee, the one candidate for Hong Kong's high post, received 1,416 votes in Sunday's election.

About 1,500 members of a largely pro-Beijing election committee forged their votes to pick the new leader. Lee solely needed 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, replacing outgoing Chief Government Carrie Lam.

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

Hong Kong's electoral system went by means of a major overhaul last yr after Beijing mentioned that solely so-called "patriots" must be allowed to manipulate the town.

At a press conference after his election, Lee was asked if his performance shall be "challenged by the lack of electoral mandate and legitimacy in the eyes of some folks."

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

"Anyone, who based on the regulation is qualified, can take part and run for the election," he added.

Mentioning that he garnered more than 1,400 votes, Lee stated: "With that variety of support, after all, it encourages me and offers me the strong confidence that my direction 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 next chief govt.

Bloomberg | Getty Photographs

In a note final week, analysts at Eurasia Group weighed in on Beijing's alternative of Lee as the next Hong Kong chief.

"The collection of Lee, a career police officer who performed a leading function in the crackdown on the pro-democracy protests that started in 2019, signifies that Beijing's high priority for Hong Kong is sustaining political safety rather than preserving its position as a dynamic international hub," they said.

"Lee's appointment will reinforce Hong Kong's shift from being a global financial and business center to playing a narrower position as a capital gateway for China," Eurasia's analysts stated. "Whereas the dangers to political and financial stability are modest, Lee's administration may be poorly equipped to reply to a major shock."

Consistent with China's Covid-19 policy, 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 further in February as new instances raged, but started easing slightly in late April.

The election was earlier postponed on account of a surge in Covid instances within the Asian monetary hub.

I make it a very clear point that I am very conscious of the must be accessible to the world. And also it is a crucial factor for Hong Kong to have the ability to resume normal travel with the mainland.

John Lee

Hong Kong's incoming chief govt

At the press convention, Lee was additionally requested how he'll show the international group that Hong Kong is open for enterprise.

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

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

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

Lee additionally called on residents to follow the advice and measures of the government, and stated the town will seek to spice up its vaccination fee. In keeping with authorities statistics, more than 91% of the population above the age of 12 have obtained their first vaccine dose as of Saturday, and 85.2% have obtained their second dose.

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

"I extend my honest congratulations to Mr John Lee on his successful election," she said in a press launch. "The current-term government and I will ensure a seamless transition with the Chief Executive-elect. We are going to render all of the support needed for the idea of office by the brand new term of government."

Correction: This story has been updated to replicate that John Lee gained 1,416 votes in Hong Kong's chief executive election. An earlier model of the story misrepresented that figure.