State media reported on Monday that Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with Hong Kong’s next chief of staff, Jun Li, and assured the former security official that the central government had full confidence in him.
Li went to Beijing on Saturday to receive the central government’s blessing as he prepares to take over in a month. Lee, 64, a former security minister who oversaw the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, was elected city chief in early May by a small committee of pro-Beijing figures. “I believe that the administration of the new government will bring with it a new atmosphere and open a new chapter in the development of Hong Kong,” Xi was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency.
Li is due to formally take office on July 1, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong’s transition from Chinese rule to the UK. The official news agency said that Xi praised Li’s “courage to take responsibility” by “contributing to the defense of Hong Kong’s national security, prosperity and stability.” “The central government fully endorses (your credibility) and fully trusts you,” Xi said.
Lee was the lone candidate in the race to succeed outgoing chief executive Carrie Lam at a time when Hong Kong’s political landscape is transforming into a version of China’s authoritarian model. Beijing introduced a national security law that sent security forces against the opposition after pro-democracy demonstrations rocked the city, sometimes accompanied by violence.
