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The new Hong Kong Prime Minister Lee after his confirmation: During the violent crackdown on the protests, he was the head of security
Photo: LAM YIK / REUTERS
A pro-Beijing election committee has confirmed John Lee as Hong Kong's next prime minister.
On Sunday, the panel of around 1,500 members voted on the successor to outgoing Prime Minister Carrie Lam.
The former security minister was the only candidate in the sham election.
Lee is scheduled to officially take office on July 1.
The 64-year-old is considered a political hardliner and notorious for his absolute loyalty to the Chinese central government.
He played a central role in the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019. The United States put Lee on the sanctions list in 2020, along with outgoing PM Lam and other senior Chinese SAR officials, after parliamentary elections were postponed.
The tradition of free reporting in the Chinese special administrative region ended with the occupation of the last China-critical newspaper “Apple Daily” in June 2021, for which Lee also bore significant responsibility.
At the time, Lee, as interior minister, justified the move with an alleged conspiracy by arrested journalists with foreign countries against Hong Kong and warned journalists from other media outlets to "keep their distance".
In the summer of 2020, the Chinese government installed a vague national security law for Hong Kong, effectively penalizing political opposition in the former British colony.
Most of the critical politicians and activists are now in prison or have retired.
Hong Kong's reputation as an international financial metropolis has not only suffered from political repression.
The corona pandemic has also hit the city economically, especially the recently relaxed border closures and strict quarantine regulations.
fdi/dpa
