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SCMP Reporters

Hong Kong No 2 official John Lee Ka-chiu met the press on Wednesday evening after tendering his resignation earlier in the day to pave the way for a run in next month’s chief executive election.
In a statement, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said she had received the resignation tendered by Lee and had submitted it to the central government. Lee has been on leave with immediate effect.
His resignation came hours after officials from Beijing’s liaison office told a group of the city’s political elites that Lee would be the sole candidate endorsed by the central government in the leadership race, according to a source.

Our live coverage below captured the event.


As it happened: Hong Kong ex-No 2 official John Lee to formally enter leadership race, awaits word from Beijing

News

Hong Kong

Politics


Lee had earlier been the only heavyweight tipped to enter the race, with sources saying he could be the only hopeful with enough votes to contest
Incumbent leader Carrie Lam has said she will not seek re-election



Lee had earlier been the only heavyweight tipped to enter the race, with sources saying he could be the only hopeful with enough votes to contest.


Hong Kong chief executive election 2022

Hong Kong politics

Hong Kong elections

John Lee

Live

Lee, 64, joined the police force as a probationary inspector at age 20 and went on to perform a wide range of duties. In 2012, he was appointed by then city leader Leung Chun-ying as undersecretary for security before being promoted to head of the Security Bureau in 2017.
He was promoted to chief secretary in June last year, three months after Carrie Lam informed Beijing she would not seek a second term.



A brief history

In January 2017, after Carrie Lam resigned as chief secretary to prepare for the election bid, then Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying had made clear that Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung would be the city’s acting chief secretary. 
But the statement issued by Lam on Wednesday stopped short of saying who would be the acting chief secretary. 
Environment chief Wong Kam-sing, the longest-serving minister in the administration, was tipped to take over. 
But some pro-Beijing figures questioned whether Wong had demonstrated that he had the firmness and loyalty required by Beijing.


Who will act as chief secretary?


Lee opens by saying: “This afternoon, I have tendered my resignation as chief secretary, and requested [the chief executive] to recommend the central government to approve my resignation. 
In the letter, I explained that if my resignation is approved by the central people’s government, I shall plan to prepare to stand for the chief executive election.”


Resignation tendered

“I thank the people of Hong Kong. Having been in the government for more than 40 years, to serve the people of Hong Kong is a glory. I thank all the civil servants with whom we have worked together over the long years.”


Thanking all Hongkongers

“I thank Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor for appointing me as Secretary of Security in July 2017, then as Chief Secretary for Administration in June 2021. I thank all members of the politically appointed team for the teamwork and cooperation. I would also like to thank members of the Legislative Council, and government boards and committees, organisations, institutions and groups with whom I have worked.”


Thank you, Carrie Lam

Lee says he will now begin his leave and if his resignation is approved, he will inform the public of his next move in detail.


Going on leave

After repeating his speech in English, Lee left the auditorium without answering questions. 
A journalist shouted: “Mr Lee, are you the sole candidate blessed by the central government?” But Lee did not answer.
The whole session lasted for only five minutes.


No questions taken

The nomination period started on Sunday, April 3, and will close on April 16. 
But hopefuls must submit their nominations by 5pm on April 14, as April 15 to 16 are the Easter holidays.   
Under the electoral law, hopefuls must garner at least 188 nominations from the Election Committee’s 1,500 members, with at least 15 nominations from each of the committee’s five sectors. 


Nominations begin

As the chief secretary, Lee had led a delegation to neighbouring Shenzhen since last September where officials ironed out details for quarantine-free cross-border travel. The talks also focused on the administrative requirements needed for quarantine-free travel, including a circuit-breaker mechanism to suspend the scheme in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak, as well as the exact launch day.
But the border reopening was postponed after the city was hit hard by a fifth wave of infections in late December.   


Shenzhen talks

Entertainment tycoon Allan Zeman and Stewart Leung Chi-kin, representing the city’s private developers, are ready to give their support to Lee for his coming campaign. 
“John Lee doesn’t know much about policy areas like finance but he is a man who is willing to learn,” Zeman says. “It’s important for him to make a strong team to compensate for his weakness.”
Zeman, who was a member of Carrie Lam’s campaign team during the 2017 chief executive race, tells the Post: “I am willing to help out on John Lee’s campaign if I am asked.”   


Allan Zeman willing to help

Election Committee member Chan Wing-kee, also a former standing committee member of the CPPCC, says he believes Lee will win the election “with a majority of votes”, and will be happy to join his election campaign if invited.
“After all the chaos that had happened in the past few years, we need a tough and strong person like Lee – as proved by his past records – to be the next chief executive to prevent the city from attacks by Western countries,” he says. “Lee is also a very capable person and I believe he will be able to provide solutions to the city’s social issues, including the housing problems.”



Lee could win with ‘majority of votes’

Cheung Chi-kong, a long-time ally of former chief executive Leung Chun-ying, says he is willing to help Lee “if needed”. He says he has known Lee, the then undersecretary for security, when he served as a former non-official member of the Executive Council.
“Lee stayed steady and liked to play safe in everything, though he was not familiar with policy areas other than security … He still has time to learn,” he says.
Cheung denies he feels disappointed about Leung not stepping forward to bid for the top job and says the “most important thing is that we have someone to lead Hong Kong in the right direction”.


Leung Chun-ying’s close ally offers help

In September 2011, when chief secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen resigned, then city leader Donald Tsang Yam-kuen disclosed in a statement that Tang had told him that “many people have encouraged him to consider coming forward as a candidate in the next chief executive election. He needs time to give serious thought to this matter”. 
Tsang also described Tang’s departure as “a loss” to the government. Such mentions were not seen again in the 2017 and 2022 statements regarding chief secretaries’ resignations. 


Tsang versus Tang

Among those who attended the meetings on Wednesday with the liaison office were former chief secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen, who is now a member of the standing committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), and Lo Man-tuen, a pro-Beijing heavyweight who wrote in a newspaper column on Wednesday that Hong Kong needed an “iron man” capable of standing up to the United States and Britain.


‘Iron man’ needed

In 2020, Lee became one of 11 mainland and local officials sanctioned by the United States over the national security law and the perceived attacks on civil liberties. 
But the penalties did not stop Lee from continuing to sharply criticise the opposition camp.
Critics have questioned whether Beijing should have picked someone not sanctioned by foreign governments as the city’s next leader.
But Lee’s supporters said the chief executive would be surrounded by financial officials, advisers and experts so the sanctions would not be a big issue.   


US sanctions

Billionaire Li Ka-shing’s eldest son, Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, says he hopes the new chief executive can help Hongkongers improve their living conditions. 
In response to media inquiries, Li in a statement also says the new leader should aim to make Hong Kong stable and prosperous. 
“Only a stable society can have a prosperous development,” he adds.   


Victor Li hopes for a better Hong Kong

In a Facebook post at 6pm, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po says: “The nomination period for the chief executive election has begun, marking a new stage for Hong Kong to enter. I am delighted to learn that Mr John Lee Ka-chiu has resigned as chief secretary for administration and intends to run for the sixth term of the chief executive election. I wish him all the best.”
Chan was earlier among names said to be eyeing the race, before Lee emerged as Beijing’s favourite. 


Paul Chan delighted

Former chief secretary Henry Tang, who was defeated by Leung Chun-ying in the 2012 leadership race, says he supports Lee because the latter is experienced and firm.
“Lee has worked in the government for a long time, serving as the head of the disciplined forces, and as a principal official. He is a loyal patriot and a candidate who loves the country and Hong Kong,” says Tang, now a standing committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the nation’s top advisory body.
“Lee has always stood firm in implementing policies. In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Lee made every effort to coordinate the city government’s anti-epidemic efforts, and actively promoted the work of border reopening with the mainland.
“Lee is also pragmatic and down to earth … As the epidemic has caused social and economic uncertainties, Hong Kong needs a capable and responsible leadership and governance team, to build consensus, unite all walks of life, and work together with society to solve long-term, deep-seated problems,” he adds.
Tang joined the Hong Kong government as commerce minister in 2002. He became the financial chief a year later and served as chief secretary from 2007 to 2011. 


‘Experienced and firm’

We are closing our coverage. Please continue to follow our stories on the leadership poll, set for May 8.


It’s a wrap