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

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

Paul Yeung | Bloomberg | Getty Pictures

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

Lee, the only candidate for Hong Kong's top submit, 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 brand new chief. Lee only wanted a simple majority to win.

The 64-year-old Lee, who was previously Hong Kong's chief secretary, will start his five-year time period on July 1, replacing outgoing Chief Executive Carrie Lam.

Hong Kong is a special administrative area of China which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, after the U.K. handed over the previous colony to Beijing. It's ruled beneath the "one nation, two programs" framework, and has limited election rights and a largely separate authorized and financial system.

Hong Kong's electoral system went through a major overhaul final yr after Beijing mentioned that solely so-called "patriots" should be allowed to control the city.

At a press conference after his election, Lee was requested if his performance might be "challenged by the dearth of electoral mandate and legitimacy in the eyes of some people."

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

"Anyone, who in keeping with the legislation is certified, can take part and run for the election," he added.

Pointing out that he garnered more than 1,400 votes, Lee said: "With that variety of assist, after all, it encourages me and provides me the robust 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 town's next chief government.

Bloomberg | Getty Photographs

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

"The collection of Lee, a career police officer who played a number one position in the crackdown on the pro-democracy protests that started in 2019, signifies that Beijing's prime precedence for Hong Kong is maintaining political security slightly than preserving its role as a dynamic global hub," they stated.

"Lee's appointment will reinforce Hong Kong's shift from being a worldwide financial and enterprise heart to enjoying 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 may be poorly outfitted to respond to a significant shock."

Consistent 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 cases raged, however began easing slightly in late April.

The election was earlier postponed due to a surge in Covid instances in the Asian monetary hub.

I make it a really clear level that I'm very acutely aware of the must be accessible to the world. And likewise it is a vital factor for Hong Kong to be able to resume normal travel with the mainland.

John Lee

Hong Kong's incoming chief government

On the press conference, Lee was also requested how he will show the international group that Hong Kong is open for enterprise.

"Yes, we've got challenges now because of the necessity to control Covid-19 and a number of the measures are certainly creating inconvenience," he acknowledged.

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

He mentioned he will be talking to his counterparts in Beijing "to search out out what are the conditions that can be required for regular travel to be resumed with the mainland."

Lee also referred to as on residents to comply with the advice and measures of the government, and mentioned town will seek to spice up its vaccination rate. In line with government statistics, more than 91% of the population above the age of 12 have acquired 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 extend my honest congratulations to Mr John Lee on his profitable election," she mentioned in a press launch. "The present-term authorities and I'll guarantee a seamless transition with the Chief Executive-elect. We are going to render all the assist needed for the belief of office by the brand new time period of presidency."

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