John Lee Hong Kong

As the sole Beijing-approved candidate to replace Lam, Lee's victory was all but assured as soon as he announced his candidacy. While Hong Kong doesn't have ...

Rather, the valuable expertise he brings to the job is his loyalty to Beijing, Kenneth Chan Ka-lok, formerly a pro-democracy lawmaker and associate professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, told the Washington Post in April, after Lee announced his candidacy. He doesn’t have links to business,” Tara Joseph, the former president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, told Al Jazeera. “He has links to the security apparatus.” It could potentially raise complications as Lee tries to salvage Hong Kong’s economy after the Covid-19 pandemic and the National Security Law pushed foreigners and international firms out of the city, though. It also points to the erosion of the civil service in Hong Kong. Lee’s not part of the civil service and political class, or a business leader, as past chief executives have been. Hong Kong has occupied a middle place over the past 25 years, with a degree of social and political autonomy far exceeding that of mainland China — encompassed in the “one party, two systems” philosophy that has governed Hong Kong since 1997. Lee defended the use of force and the response to the protest, including the National Security Law, saying it had helped “ restore stability from chaos.” The government in mainland China also instituted several reforms to Hong Kong’s governing structure, which helped solidify China’s control over the city, as Michael Martin of the Center for Strategic and International Studies outlined in a February report. But the uncontested run of the former security chief is almost too on-the-nose after pro-democracy activism and calls for Hong Kong independence threatened China’s grip on the city. He’ll be the first chief executive from the police force in the 25 years since its handover to China, and will take office on July 1, the anniversary of that day. Lee, now poised to take over as Hong Kong’s chief executive, was until April 7 the chair of the CERC. Lee’s tenure will likely bring more of the same: a former deputy chief of Hong Kong’s police force, he was instrumental in the brutal crackdowns on pro-democracy activists. Protests about changes to extradition laws, which would allow Hong Kong residents accused of crimes could be extradited to mainland China for trial, erupted across the region amid demands for strengthened democratic institutions.

Lee was the only candidate and won with over 99% of the vote. Almost all voting committee members were vetted by the central government in Beijing.

A major reason for easier governance is that the electoral system has changed," he said. Lee's role as Hong Kong's next leader has sparked concern that Beijing could further tighten its grip. "Human rights over power, the people are greater than the country," the banner read. Almost all prominent pro-democracy activists have been jailed, with others fleeing abroad or being intimidated into silence. The elaborate arrangements surrounding the predetermined outcome speak to Beijing's desire for a veneer of democracy. The legislature was also reorganized to all but eliminate opposition voices.

John Lee, a career police official turned security bureaucrat, is Hong Kong's new chief executive. Lee won an election in which he was the only candidate ...

Just as crucial a factor is China’s rising control over Hong Kong—control that Lee helped to implement, and that he will now be able to extend as the new chief executive. He will inherit a Hong Kong that has been forced into submission not only by Chinese authority but also by the pandemic. In 2020, the US Treasury Department sanctioned Lam and 10 others for “undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy.” On the sanctions list was Lee, who was the secretary for security at the time.

John Lee, the Hong Kong government's former No. 2, is selected as the city's next chief executive in an uncontested election, becoming the first person to ...

"Lee comes from a security background, so I think he will be tougher, unlike Carrie Lam, who was more laid-back," a housewife in her 60's said. "It doesn't matter to me at all who joins the election or becomes the chief executive," a 32-year-old office worker said. There have been raids on several pro-democracy newspapers, including Apple Daily, which was forced to fold on June 24, 2021. The appointment of Lee is likely to lead to a further tightening of the government's grip on the city as he pledged last month to enact a previously shelved bill on treason and theft of state secrets that the national security law has not criminalized. The total valid vote count was 1,424. During his tenure as the security chief, the Hong Kong government implemented the national security law to crack down on dissent in the city following the 2019 protests.

Mr Lee, the only candidate in the polls, received 1,416 votes in his favour from the election committee's nearly 1,500 members, who cast their votes in a secret ...

The sweeping law has forced a number of high-profile pro-democracy activists and journalists to flee the country. He then served as secretary for security from 2017 to 2021. Mr Lee’s victory comes as no surprise after Beijing’s endorsement and 786 nominations from the members of the committee last month. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. While 33 members abstained from voting, eight voted to “not support” him. The make-up of the election committee was amended last year to include a larger number of seats nominated by pro-Beijing organisations, as part of changes to ensure Hong Kong is run by “patriots”.

Chinese officials on Sunday appointed John Lee, 64, as the new chief of Hong Kong in place of outgoing leader Carrie Lam. Lee was the only candidate in the ...

Hong Kong's new leader received backing from election committee members who were primarily in favour of pro-China policies. The new Hong Kong chief is married with two sons. Lee is Hong Kong's former deputy commissioner of police and security chief.

Pro-Beijing parties offer names, some of Lee's campaign team members tipped for cabinet posts.

A career police officer and the city's security chief received over 99% of the vote from an election committee stacked with mostly pro-Beijing members. He was ...

Lee has also pledged to enact a local legislation to protect against security threats, known as Article 23 of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law. Previous attempts to pass the bill have failed because of strong local opposition. But such Western-style liberties, including the freedom of press and assembly, have been seriously eroded with the implementation of the national security law. The following year, in 2020, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, with Lee as its main supporter and enforcer. He resigned from his post in April to stand for the leadership polls. But the bill sparked massive anti-government protests over fears that Beijing was encroaching on Hong Kong’s autonomy, and soon morphed into calls for wider democratic rights, including universal suffrage. Lee, 64, spent more than three decades of his civil service career in the police force before he was appointed undersecretary of Hong Kong’s security bureau in 2012.

In his election manifesto, the Chief Executive-elect outlined the future policies to further strengthening the city's competitiveness and "starting a new ...

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HONG KONG (AP) — There was little doubt over John Lee's election as Hong Kong's next chief executive.

Lee has also pledged to enact a local legislation to protect against security threats, known as Article 23 of Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law. Previous attempts to pass the bill have failed because of strong local opposition. The following year, in 2020, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong, with Lee as its main supporter and enforcer. But such Western-style liberties, including the freedom of press and assembly, have been seriously eroded with the implementation of the national security law. He resigned from his post in April to stand for the leadership polls. Under the new system, candidates must be vetted by a committee that determines if they are suitable or patriotic enough. But the bill sparked massive anti-government protests over fears that Beijing was encroaching on Hong Kong's autonomy, and soon morphed into calls for wider democratic rights, including universal suffrage. Lee, 64, spent more than three decades of his civil service career in the police force before he was appointed undersecretary of Hong Kong’s security bureau in 2012. By clicking submit, you are agreeing to our Terms and Conditions & Privacy Policy. He was the sole candidate in Sunday's election. He was a key figure in pushing for a proposed extradition bill in 2019 that would've sent Hong Kong suspects to mainland China, where courts operate under the ruling Communist Party. Chief Executive-elect John Lee, right, and incumbent Chief Executive Carrie Lam attend a press conference in Hong Kong, Monday, May 9, 2022. Lee was elected as the city’s next leader on Sunday in a vote cast by a largely pro-Beijing committee.