Beijing loyalist John Lee elected as Hong Kong’s next leader
Associated PressHONG KONG — John Lee, a hard-line security chief who oversaw a crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, was elected as the city’s next leader on Sunday in a vote cast by a largely pro-Beijing committee. The election followed major changes to Hong Kong’s electoral laws last year to ensure that only “patriots” loyal to Beijing can hold office. Without opposition, Lee would likely have easier time governing Hong Kong compared to Lam, said Ivan Choy, a senior lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Department of Government and Public Administration. The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that Lee’s election “violates democratic principles and political pluralism in Hong Kong.” “Selection process is yet another step in the dismantling of the ‘one country, two systems’ principle,” Borrell tweeted. The Chinese government’s liaison office in Hong Kong congratulated Lee and said the election was conducted in a “fair, just and orderly manner in accordance with laws and regulations.” Mainland China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council said in its congratulatory note that the “successful election” proved that the city’s new electoral system is “good” and in line with the “one country, two systems” framework that Hong Kong is governed by.