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

Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing, chairman of CK Hutchison Holdings, satisfies journalists as he formally retires just after the company’s Annual Common Conference in Hong Kong, China May possibly 10, 2018. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

HONG KONG, April 20 (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s sole management applicant John Lee has picked just about 150 heavyweights, including the city’s richest man Li Ka-shing and other highly effective businessmen and politicians, to be part of his advisory teams to exhibit wide help for his bid.

Lee, the previous No.2 formal of the Asian economic hub, is established to exchange Main Government Carrie Lam on July 1 with backing from Beijing.

“The customers have wealthy knowledge and contribution to the culture…they will be valuable to the system drafting and other get the job done in the upcoming,” Lee’s marketing campaign workplace director Tam Yiu-chung instructed reporters on Wednesday.

Lee is envisioned to announce his system later on this month, media reports explained, forward of the election on May 8.

Since Hong Kong returned from British to Chinese rule in 1997, there have been four main executives, all of whom have struggled to equilibrium the democratic aspirations of some inhabitants with the vision 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.

Among Lee’s 58-member marketing campaign advisory staff are the city’s greatest property tycoons, like CK Asset’s (1113.HK) Li Ka-shing, Henderson Land Development’s (0012.HK) Lee Shau Kee, Sunlight Hung Kai Properties’ (0016.HK) Raymond Kwok and New World Development’s (0017.HK) Henry Cheng.

Other advisers include previous World Wellness Group director basic Margaret Chan, chairman of electric power organization CLP Holdings (0002.HK) Michael Kadoorie, and casino magnate Lui Che-woo.

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

The presidium features previous Hong Kong chief secretary and a standing committee member of China’s top advisory physique the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Henry Tang, organization magnate Allan Zeman, previous director of Community Prosecutions Grenville Cross, previous main government of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (HKEX) (0388.HK) Charles Li, as very well as motion picture star Jackie Chan.

Lee has secured 786 nominations from the 1,500 associates of the election committee in cost of picking out Hong Kong’s new chief, larger than the 188 nominations demanded to operate.

A former career police officer, Lee is greatly envisioned to prioritise security troubles if he will get the top rated occupation, acquiring previously urged new laws to totally put into action a sweeping nationwide stability law Beijing imposed on the town in 2020.

Lee explained he will be the conductor to “a new symphony” early this thirty day period when he introduced his candidacy. He explained loyalty to China’s central government was a precedence for any main govt and component of his platform will consist of accelerating plans to solve the city’s persistent housing shortage. examine far more

Reporting by Clare Jim Enhancing by Kim Coghill

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