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The European Union has condemned the appointment of Hong Kong’s former safety tsar, who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy motion, because the Chinese language territory’s new chief government with 99% of the vote in a secret poll on Sunday.
Josep Borrell, the bloc’s international coverage chief, mentioned the choice course of that led to John Lee being elected is but “one other step within the dismantling of the ‘one nation, two techniques’ precept”.
The EU “calls on Chinese language and Hong Kong authorities to abide by their nationwide and worldwide commitments, notably the last word intention of electing the chief government and members of the legislative council by common suffrage,” Borrell mentioned in a press release shortly after the affirmation of Lee’s appointment on Sunday.
Lee, 64, was the one candidate within the Beijing-backed race to succeed the outgoing chief, Carrie Lam. Like his predecessor, Lee was among the many first Hong Kong and mainland Chinese language officers to be placed on the US sanctions checklist for his or her position in undermining town’s once-guaranteed rights and freedoms. Final month, his YouTube channel was blocked by Google to adjust to the sanctions.
Analysts say his elevation indicators that Beijing’s robust coverage on Hong Kong is about to proceed. It’s also the primary time {that a} former safety official has been appointed to the highest job in certainly one of Asia’s most important enterprise hubs.
Hong Kong turned the eye of the world’s media in 2019 for its months-long road protests, the largest since its handover to China from Britain in 1997. Beijing imposed a controversial nationwide safety laws within the metropolis the next yr, which bars secession, subversion and collusion with international forces.
The Hong Kong administration’s debilitating pandemic controls have invited complaints from each residents and international companies in latest months. A number of international chambers of commerce warned town of the harm of the zero-Covid coverage.
‘Close to-unanimous outcome’
Lee’s new place was confirmed after being chosen by an “election committee” made up of 1,461 folks, roughly 0.02% of town’s 7.4 million inhabitants. Critics say the committee doesn’t characterize the wide selection of views in Hong Kong, and that its members are largely pro-Beijing.
After a short secret poll on Sunday, 99% or 1,416 members voted for Lee whereas eight voted towards, in keeping with officers.
Beijing hailed the near-unanimous outcome, saying it confirmed that “Hong Kong society has a excessive stage of recognition and approval” for Lee. “This can be a actual demonstration of democratic spirit,” the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Workplace mentioned in a press release.
Underneath the Chinese language president, Xi Jinping, Beijing is remoulding Hong Kong in its personal authoritarian picture after big and typically violent democracy protests three years in the past. Dissenting voices have virtually disappeared after final yr’s electoral adjustments that allowed solely “patriots” to participate in legislature polls.
Avenue protests have been largely outlawed, and authorities have used an anti-Covid ban on public gatherings of greater than 4 folks in addition to the safety regulation to take action.
Regardless of the dangers, the League of Social Democrats – one of many solely remaining pro-democracy teams – held a three-person protest earlier than the polls opened Sunday, chanting: “Energy to the folks, common suffrage now.”
“That is what John Lee’s new chapter seems like – a shrinking of our civil liberties,” mentioned protester Vanessa Chan as dozens of cops appeared on. “We all know this motion may have no impact, however we don’t need Hong Kong to be fully silent.”
Hong Kong’s chief executives have discovered themselves caught between the democratic aspirations of town’s residents and the authoritarian calls for of Beijing’s leaders for years, and Lam is on monitor to go away workplace with record-low approval scores.
Lee’s problem in governing the once-freewheeling society is just not merely political. Hong Kong additionally faces financial difficulties thanks to 2 years of strict pandemic curbs which have broken its fame as a enterprise hub and left residents lower off as rivals reopen.
Underneath the slogan “Beginning a brand new chapter for Hong Kong collectively”, Lee has vowed to herald “results-oriented” governance, forge unity and reboot town’s financial system.
A 44-page manifesto he launched final week caught to broad objectives and provided few concrete insurance policies or targets. He has mentioned he’ll unveil extra particulars when he makes his first coverage tackle.
‘Empty gesture’
In accordance with a survey in March by the Public Opinion Analysis Institute, about 24% of the general public has confidence in Lee, in contrast with 12% for Lam.
Queuing outdoors a restaurant on Sunday, Alex Tam, 25, mentioned he and his associates have been paying little consideration to proceedings. “It’s simply an empty gesture,” he mentioned. “If he didn’t hearken to the protesters, I don’t see how he would hearken to younger folks now, particularly those that criticise the federal government.”
Yeung wing-shun, a retired businessman, was extra constructive, saying he hoped Lee would information Hong Kong with a agency hand and that he believed the brand new chief might deliver totally different sectors collectively.
Lee will take workplace on 1 July, the twenty fifth anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China from Britain.
China agreed on the time that Hong Kong might preserve sure freedoms and autonomy for 50 years after retaking management from Britain below a “one nation, two techniques” system.
Beijing and Lee insist the system remains to be intact. Critics, together with many western powers, say it has been shredded.
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