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

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

Paul Yeung | Bloomberg | Getty Photos

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

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

About 1,500 members of a largely pro-Beijing election committee cast their votes to pick the new leader. 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 Government Carrie Lam.

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

Hong Kong's electoral system went by a significant overhaul final yr after Beijing said that only so-called "patriots" should be allowed to control the town.

At a press conference after his election, Lee was asked if his efficiency will be "challenged by the lack of electoral mandate and legitimacy within 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 legislation is certified, can take part and run for the election," he added.

Declaring that he garnered greater than 1,400 votes, Lee said: "With that variety of help, of course, it encourages me and offers me the robust confidence that my route 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 govt.

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

"Lee's appointment will reinforce Hong Kong's shift from being a global financial and enterprise heart to playing a narrower role as a capital gateway for China," Eurasia's analysts stated. "While the dangers to political and monetary stability are modest, Lee's administration could also be poorly outfitted to answer a serious shock."

Consistent with China's Covid-19 coverage, Hong Kong has a so-called "dynamic zero" strategy for the virus and imposed strict measures in January in an attempt to blunt its spread. Town tightened restrictions additional in February as new circumstances raged, however began easing slightly in late April.

The election was earlier postponed as a result of a surge in Covid cases in the Asian financial hub.

I make it a really clear point that I am very aware of the have to be accessible to the world. And also it is a crucial factor for Hong Kong to be able to resume regular travel with the mainland.

John Lee

Hong Kong's incoming chief government

On the press convention, Lee was additionally asked how he'll present the worldwide community that Hong Kong is open for enterprise.

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

"I make it a very clear level that I'm very conscious of the must 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."

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

Lee additionally called on citizens to observe the advice and measures of the federal government, and said town will seek to boost its vaccination price. In line with authorities statistics, greater than 91% of the inhabitants 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 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 will ensure a seamless transition with the Chief Executive-elect. We will render all the support needed for the idea of workplace by the new term of presidency."

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