Diplomacy for a semi-autonomous metropolis is an advanced matter. Does it courtroom buyers, allay democratic anxieties or stifle dissent? In the event you’re John Lee Ka-chiu, you do all of it and also you do it with out mincing phrases. Final yr, in the course of the “Howdy Hong Kong” marketing campaign, town’s Chief Government was seen gesturing with open arms, welcoming international guests to a “international metropolis like no different.” On the sidelines, he tenaciously pursued “avenue rats.” Lee issued a HK$1 million reward in opposition to eight pro-democracy activists residing overseas. They have been wished, lifeless or alive, in accordance with the nationwide safety regulation imposed by Beijing.
The eight Lee refers to are a part of the ‘Hong Kong 47’: the 47 activists, teachers and politicians imprisoned or compelled into exile since 2021. On Might 30, a Hong Kong courtroom discovered 14 activists responsible of try and “paralyze Hong Kong authorities” and “overthrow town’s chief.” Historic processing is carried out beneath the management of Mr. Lee which started in 2022.
Hong Kong’s fifth chief govt has had humble beginnings. He was born right into a middle-class household in Guangzhou and grew up in public housing, experiencing “first-hand difficulties confronted by the grassroots group,” Lee stated in a marketing campaign speech.
He attended the distinguished Wah Yan Faculty run by Jesuit clergymen. His classmates and academics described him as “obedient” and “results-oriented,” somebody who saved a low profile, in accordance with a report within the South China Morning Publish. The younger Mr. Lee handed up the chance to review engineering for “household causes.” In 1977, when Hong Kong was nonetheless a British colony, Mr Lee, then 20, joined the police. He was “often called an Anglophile throughout colonial rule,” Reuters beforehand reported.
His police expertise separates Lee from his predecessors, who got here out of the civil service or had ties to the enterprise group. The 66-year-old spent greater than 4 a long time addressing safety challenges. He began as a probationary inspector; He rose by means of the ranks to develop into deputy commissioner in 2010, safety secretary in 2017 and, in 2021, he was elected chief secretary of administration, the second strongest place in Hong Kong. Lee had earned a popularity for being “notoriously tough to take care of” and appeared hostile towards those that raised questions, former lawmaker and exiled activist Nathan Legislation Kwun-chung advised CNN.
Mr. Lee’s “sense of justice” started when he was robbed as a scholar, which for him was a lesson in find out how to be a law-abiding citizen, in accordance with the International Occasions. Studying stagnated.
When pro-democracy activists protested the controversial (and now withdrawn) extradition invoice in 2019, Lee defended his former police colleagues, who fired tear gasoline canisters, water cannons and rubber bullets at protesters. . The protesters have been “radicals” spreading “terror”, and have been solely stopped by the “courageous” police power, he claimed. Professional-Beijing lawmakers appreciated his “management expertise” in dealing with mass pro-democracy protests and the pandemic.
Rewrite the rule of regulation
The Fundamental Legislation, town’s mini-constitution, ensures civil liberties, freedom of expression and an unbiased judiciary within the former British colony. Critics worry the Nationwide Safety Legislation rewrites the rule of regulation and offers the federal government extra energy to crush dissent. The US has positioned Lee on a sanctions listing for undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy.
In 2022, Lee was the unopposed option to be Hong Kong’s chief govt, hand-picked by an election committee made up of Beijing loyalists. The appointment was a “reward for loyalty,” stated Joseph Cheng, a retired Hong Kong tutorial.
Critics additionally level to his lack of governance expertise, which might influence his capability to deal with town’s housing and poverty points. Lee handed new inside safety legal guidelines in March this yr, an growth of the NSL, which consultants worry may damage Hong Kong’s prospects of turning into a hub for worldwide enterprise.
Hong Kong’s chief executives historically juggle opposing forces, balancing Hong Kong’s need for autonomy with China’s imaginative and prescient for town. The Lee authorities is leaning towards the latter; Nationwide safety would take precedence “above all else,” he had stated. Lee’s 2022 manifesto promised to strengthen safety laws, introduce “nationwide identification” training and enact a “faux information” regulation. The Nationwide Safety Legislation (which prohibits treason, secession, sedition or subversion in opposition to Beijing) has “restored peace” and was needed to guard in opposition to “undercurrents attempting to create hassle,” he stated. When requested about regulation and order, Lee, in an interview with China Each day, stated that “the risk to nationwide safety is beneath management,” with “patriots” like him administering Hong Kong.
What motivates Mr. Lee? He quoted a Cantonese saying throughout a press convention. “Once we draw a cartoon character, we should additionally draw the within of it,” he stated, suggesting listening to particulars when creating initiatives. The Chief Government has earned the nickname of the cartoon ‘Pickachu’ on social media. It’s a play on his Cantonese identify Ka-Chiu, coded with the implication of his submission to Beijing. Lee modified one element to counter this criticism. Advertising and marketing flooded on-line channels with a blue cartoon named ‘Brother Chiu’, an affectionate greeting for a good determine in Hong Kong.
This tough line earned him reward from superiors. Final December, Chinese language President Xi Jinping stated Lee’s work had “consolidated the overall pattern that noticed Hong Kong transfer from chaos to order,” and that Hong Kong “is now on the trail to prosperity.” ”.
