Factbox-Hong Kong’s new cabinet to focus on national security

HONG KONG (Reuters) – Hong Kong’s incoming chief John Lee has introduced a cupboard that features various officers with a background in safety, calling it a “results-oriented” governing group that can usher in a brand new chapter after protracted pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Lee has spoken of nationwide safety being his “basic mission”, in addition to the necessity to restore Hong Kong’s worldwide standing and ease an entrenched housing provide downside that has fuelled town’s astronomical housing costs.

The next are some particulars on a number of incoming senior officers.

JOHN LEE, 64, INCOMING CHIEF EXECUTIVE

A former prime policeman turned civil servant, Lee oversaw town’s safety insurance policies throughout mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. He has pledged to keep up a agency grip on town underneath a nationwide safety regulation, in keeping with China’s sovereign pursuits.

Lee and several other of his prime officers, together with incoming Chief Secretary Eric Chan, safety chief Chris Tang and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang have backgrounds in both the safety or disciplinary companies, and have been sanctioned by the U.S. authorities.

The brand new administration will take workplace on July 1.

The USA and different international locations, together with Britain, have criticised the crackdown that has jailed a lot of Hong Kong’s opposition figures, shuttered civil society teams and media retailers, in addition to narrowed free speech.

Lee has described the sanctions as acts of “bullying international locations”.

“General, the safety personnel play an important position on this cupboard which is unprecedented in Hong Kong’s political historical past,” stated political commentator Sonny Lo.

“It reveals the precedence assigned by the central authorities to nationwide safety in Hong Kong.”

ERIC CHAN, 63, CHIEF SECRETARY

Chan is the previous head of workplace for Hong Kong’s outgoing chief Carrie Lam and regarded a trusted middleman to Beijing. Having served as an immigration chief after which as Lam’s prime aide, Chan enjoys shut ties to mainland officers and is named a talented coordinator in a position to carry collectively disparate events on complicated points. Chan was additionally sanctioned by the U.S. authorities in 2020 for undermining the previous British colony’s autonomy.

PAUL CHAN, 67, FINANCIAL SECRETARY

Chan continues with the job that he has held since 2017. A veteran accountant, the reappointment of Chan, who hasn’t been sanctioned, was welcomed by some within the monetary sector.

“Having Paul Chan keep on calmed numerous nerves,” stated Kher Sheng Lee, the Asia Pacific co-head of the Various Funding Administration Affiliation.

“We’re blissful that he is again and the subsequent three to 4 months goes to be a chance to re-set and reframe the dialog about the way forward for Hong Kong.”

PAUL LAM, 54, SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE

Lam, a former head of the Bar Affiliation and a veteran industrial barrister, is broadly anticipated to proceed to supervise the robust prosecutorial strategy of his predecessor, Teresa Cheng, in opposition to opposition figures, activists and protesters.

“It’s arduous to see Lam rocking the boat now the nationwide safety trajectory has been set… that’s not his model,” stated one barrister who is aware of Lam however declined to be named.

Lam shouldn’t be underneath sanction and is predicted to advertise Hong Kong’s authorized system internationally, working underneath a frontrunner who has repeatedly condemned worldwide criticism of Hong Kong’s rule of regulation because the sweeping nationwide safety laws.

(Reporting by James Pomfret, Scott Murdoch, Greg Torode, Jessie Pang and Farah Grasp; Modifying by Raju Gopalakrishnan)