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

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

Paul Yeung | Bloomberg | Getty Photos

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

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

About 1,500 members of a largely pro-Beijing election committee forged their votes to select 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 begin his five-year term on July 1, replacing outgoing Chief Govt Carrie Lam.

Hong Kong is a special administrative area of China which returned to Chinese language rule in 1997, after the U.Okay. handed over the previous colony to Beijing. It is ruled underneath the "one country, two techniques" framework, and has limited election rights and a principally separate authorized and economic system.

Hong Kong's electoral system went by means of a serious overhaul last 12 months after Beijing said that solely so-called "patriots" needs to be allowed to govern town.

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

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

"Anybody, who in line with the law is certified, can take part and run for the election," he added.

Pointing out that he garnered greater than 1,400 votes, Lee said: "With that variety of help, of course, it encourages me and gives me the strong confidence that my route is agreed and shared by a lot of election committee members."

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

Bloomberg | Getty Photos

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

"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, indicates that Beijing's top precedence for Hong Kong is sustaining political safety relatively than preserving its position as a dynamic world hub," they mentioned.

"Lee's appointment will reinforce Hong Kong's shift from being a world financial and enterprise center to playing a narrower role 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 geared up to respond to a serious shock."

In step 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 spread. The town tightened restrictions additional in February as new circumstances raged, however started easing barely in late April.

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

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

John Lee

Hong Kong's incoming chief executive

At the press conference, Lee was additionally asked how he will show the worldwide neighborhood that Hong Kong is open for business.

"Yes, now we have challenges now because of the need to management Covid-19 and among the measures are certainly creating inconvenience," he acknowledged.

"I make it a really clear point that I am very conscious of the need to be accessible to the world. And in addition it is a vital thing for Hong Kong to have the ability to resume normal travel with the mainland."

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

Lee additionally known as on residents to follow the advice and measures of the government, and mentioned the city will seek to spice up its vaccination rate. Based on authorities statistics, greater than 91% of the inhabitants 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 govt Lam congratulated Lee on Sunday.

"I prolong my sincere congratulations to Mr John Lee on his profitable election," she mentioned in a press release. "The current-term government and I'll ensure a seamless transition with the Chief Govt-elect. We'll render all the assist needed for the idea of office by the brand new term of government."

Correction: This story has been up to date to replicate that John Lee won 1,416 votes in Hong Kong's chief government election. An earlier version of the story misrepresented that figure.