Hong Kong’s elite join leadership candidate’s campaign as Beijing watches

Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings, fulfills journalists as he formally retires following the firm’s Annual Normal Conference in Hong Kong, China May well 10, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

HONG KONG, April 20 (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s sole leadership applicant John Lee has picked just about 150 heavyweights, including the city’s richest gentleman Li Ka-shing and other potent businessmen and politicians, to join his advisory teams to exhibit wide assistance for his bid.

Lee, the previous No.2 official of the Asian fiscal hub, is established to replace Main Govt Carrie Lam on July 1 with backing from Beijing.

“The customers have prosperous working experience and contribution to the culture…they will be practical to the system drafting and other perform in the foreseeable future,” Lee’s campaign business office director Tam Yiu-chung informed reporters on Wednesday.

Lee is envisioned to announce his system afterwards this thirty day period, media stories explained, forward of the election on May perhaps 8.

Given that Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, there have been 4 main executives, all of whom have struggled to harmony the democratic aspirations of some inhabitants with the eyesight of China’s Communist leaders.

All of the city’s leaders have been backed by Beijing and preferred by an “election committee” stacked with Beijing loyalists.

Amid Lee’s 58-member campaign advisory staff are the city’s largest home tycoons, together with CK Asset’s (1113.HK) Li Ka-shing, Henderson Land Development’s (0012.HK) Lee Shau Kee, Sun Hung Kai Properties’ (0016.HK) Raymond Kwok and New Planet Development’s (0017.HK) Henry Cheng.

Other advisers contain former Globe Well being Business director basic Margaret Chan, chairman of energy enterprise CLP Holdings (0002.HK) Michael Kadoorie, and casino magnate Lui Che-woo.

Aside from the advisory staff that serves a honorary part, there is also a 90-member presidium that Lee is consulting to draft his system.

The presidium incorporates former Hong Kong main secretary and a standing committee member of China’s top advisory human body the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Henry Tang, small business magnate Allan Zeman, former director of Public Prosecutions Grenville Cross, previous main government of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) (0388.HK) Charles Li, as perfectly as film star Jackie Chan.

Lee has secured 786 nominations from the 1,500 members of the election committee in cost of deciding on Hong Kong’s new leader, larger than the 188 nominations demanded to run.

A previous occupation law enforcement officer, Lee is commonly anticipated to prioritise protection challenges if he gets the top rated job, obtaining previously urged new legislation to completely put into practice a sweeping nationwide stability regulation Beijing imposed on the town in 2020.

Lee explained he will be the conductor to “a new symphony” early this month when he declared his candidacy. He said loyalty to China’s central authorities was a priority for any chief govt and element of his platform will consist of accelerating programs to resolve the city’s long-term housing scarcity. go through more

Reporting by Clare Jim Editing by Kim Coghill

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