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 after the firm’s Once-a-year Typical Conference in Hong Kong, China Could 10, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

HONG KONG, April 20 (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s sole management candidate John Lee has picked just about 150 heavyweights, like the city’s richest male Li Ka-shing and other potent businessmen and politicians, to sign up for his advisory teams to display broad aid for his bid.

Lee, the former No.2 official of the Asian money hub, is set to replace Chief Government Carrie Lam on July 1 with backing from Beijing.

“The users have wealthy working experience and contribution to the culture…they will be useful to the platform drafting and other function in the potential,” Lee’s marketing campaign workplace director Tam Yiu-chung told reporters on Wednesday.

Lee is envisioned to announce his platform later this thirty day period, media reviews stated, ahead of the election on May 8.

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

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

Among the Lee’s 58-member marketing campaign advisory team are the city’s largest residence tycoons, such as CK Asset’s (1113.HK) Li Ka-shing, Henderson Land Development’s (0012.HK) Lee Shau Kee, Solar Hung Kai Properties’ (0016.HK) Raymond Kwok and New Globe Development’s (0017.HK) Henry Cheng.

Other advisers involve former World Wellbeing Organization director basic Margaret Chan, chairman of energy enterprise CLP Holdings (0002.HK) Michael Kadoorie, and on line casino magnate Lui Che-woo.

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

The presidium involves former Hong Kong chief secretary and a standing committee member of China’s leading advisory physique the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Meeting, Henry Tang, enterprise magnate Allan Zeman, previous director of Community Prosecutions Grenville Cross, previous chief government of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) (0388.HK) Charles Li, as properly as motion picture star Jackie Chan.

Lee has secured 786 nominations from the 1,500 associates of the election committee in charge of deciding on Hong Kong’s new chief, better than the 188 nominations needed to operate.

A former profession police officer, Lee is greatly anticipated to prioritise security difficulties if he gets the best position, possessing previously urged new legislation to fully put into action a sweeping national stability regulation Beijing imposed on the metropolis in 2020.

Lee claimed he will be the conductor to “a new symphony” early this thirty day period when he declared his candidacy. He claimed loyalty to China’s central authorities was a priority for any main govt and part of his platform will include accelerating strategies to resolve the city’s persistent housing scarcity. study much more

Reporting by Clare Jim Enhancing by Kim Coghill

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