In Hong Kong, former security chief John Lee has been elected the new head of government. A 1,461-strong committee loyal to Beijing elected Lee on Sunday with 1,416 votes, and there was no opposing candidate. Lee succeeds the previous Prime Minister Carrie Lam. The 64-year-old played a central role in the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, which mobilized millions of protesters in 2019.
Lee served in the Hong Kong police force for 35 years before becoming chief of security for China’s special administrative region, finally becoming number two in the metropolis’ government last year. Lee is scheduled to officially take over from Lam on the symbolically important July 1 – the 25th anniversary of the handover of the former British colony of Hong Kong to China. The central government in Beijing has massively expanded its influence on Hong Kong in recent years.
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