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John Lee has been named as Hong Kong’s new leader after running uncontested
John Lee has been named Hong Kong’s new leader, after a closed voting process in which he was the sole candidate.
His appointment is being widely seen as a move by the Chinese government to tighten its grip on the city.
Known as a staunch Beijing supporter, Mr Lee oversaw the sometimes violent crackdowns on pro-democracy protestors in 2019.
Mr Lee replaces outgoing chief executive Carrie Lam, who had served since 2017.
Hong Kong’s leaders are selected by a closed-circle committee of around 1,500 members, who are nearly all pro-Beijing loyalists – although this time there was only one contender for them to elect.
Mr Lee, who was the former Chief Secretary and the city’s second-highest ranking official, was always tipped to be the favoured replacement for Ms Lam who earlier announced that she would not seek a second term in office. (BBC)
