Carrie Lam was seen as the face of Beijing in Hong Kong, which was increasingly taken over by China. Now there is a successor at the head of government – who has a reputation.
Former Security Secretary John Lee has been confirmed as Hong Kong’s next prime minister. On Sunday, a Beijing-loyal election committee with around 1,500 members voted on the successor to outgoing Prime Minister Carrie Lam. In the sham election, John Lee ran as the only candidate.
The 64-year-old is considered a political hardliner and notorious for his absolute loyalty to the Chinese central government. In Hong Kong, he is controversial for his active role in cracking down on the 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations.
In the summer of 2020, the Chinese government installed a vague national security law for Hong Kong, effectively penalizing political opposition in the former British colony. Most of the critical politicians and activists are now in prison or have retired.
Hong Kong’s reputation as an international financial metropolis has not only suffered from political repression. The corona pandemic has also hit the city hard economically, especially the recently relaxed border closures and strict quarantine regulations.
Source: Stern
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