Beijing announces line-up of new HK leader’s cabinet
HONG KONG: China yesterday unveiled a list of Hong Kong government officials in the new administration of incoming leader John Lee, set to be sworn in on July 1, when the Chinese-ruled financial hub marks the 25th anniversary of its handover from Britain.
Lists from the official Xinhua news agency and the Hong Kong government showed finance secretary Paul Chan retains his post. The 67-year-old Chan has served as financial secretary since 2017, overseeing a deep recession triggered by anti-government protests in 2019 and a strict Covid Zero policy in the following years.
Other cabinet picks include Eric Chan Kwok-ki, who has been named chief secretary, and Senior Counsel Paul Lam TingKwok, who will head the government’s judiciary, according to a statement published by the Hong Kong government.
“The next five years is a critical time for Hong Kong to move from stability to prosperity,” Mr Lee said at a press briefing yesterday. The new government will be results-oriented, he said.
Mr Lee, a former policeman who’s known largely for overseeing a crackdown on protesters and implementing a Beijing-imposed national security law, has little business experience as he prepares to take over leadership of the government.
Global investors and the local business community are both awaiting clarity on his financial and economic policies and, most importantly, whether he will loosen Covid travel restrictions that have put the city’s status as an international financial hub at risk
A British colony until 1997, Hong Kong is on high alert as Covid-19 infections have risen to more than 1,000 recently, although there is no sign yet of tighter curbs ahead of the swearing-in.
Some Hong Kong media have said President Xi Jinping is expected to attend Mr Lee’s swearing-in ceremony in Hong Kong, but it was not confirmed whether any senior mainland leaders would attend.