Clash Between Former and Incumbent Chief Executives in Hong Kong's Next Chief Executive Election

Carrie Lam, current Chief Executive of Hong Kong

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] It is expected that former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and current Chief Executive Carrie Lam will run in the next Hong Kong Chief Executive election scheduled for March 27 next year.

On the 7th, Ming Pao reported, "With less than 10 months remaining until the Chief Executive election, prospective candidates are expected to begin election preparations, and former Chief Executive Leung is actively engaging in social media activities."

Analyzing Leung's Facebook from January this year to the 5th of this month, Ming Pao found an average of 5 posts per day, totaling 690 posts. Ming Pao stated, "This contrasts with Chief Executive Lam, who posted only 50 posts on Facebook during the same period."

Most posts received 1,000 'likes,' and some posts garnered 10,000 'likes.'

On the other hand, as the incumbent Chief Executive, Lam's media exposure overwhelmingly surpasses that of former Chief Executive Leung. Analyzing traditional media in Hong Kong and mainland China, Ming Pao reported that during the period, Lam's media exposure frequency was 10,698 times, while Leung's was only 1,200 times.

Leung, a representative pro-China figure, served as Hong Kong Chief Executive from July 2012 to June 2017. He is currently the Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

He did not challenge for a second term at the end of 2016. However, this year, he has been raising his voice and highlighting his presence through social media and other means. In an interview with foreign media last March, when asked about his intention to run for Chief Executive, he replied, "I will do whatever it takes to serve Hong Kong and the country."

Lo Siu-kai, Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong-Macao Research Association in China, said, "Under the current new situation and new electoral system, anyone who wants to challenge for Chief Executive must persuade the Chinese government," adding, "However, the Chinese government thinks there is no need to make a final decision too quickly."

He further explained, "The most important requirements that the Chinese government considers for the next Hong Kong Chief Executive are responsibility and courage, loyalty, and charisma necessary for uniting the patriotic forces."

Cheung Kim-wah, Vice President of the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, pointed out Leung's intention to run as 'Sima Zhao's heart' (司馬昭之心), an idiom meaning an ambition to seize power or such ambition being blatantly obvious.

Vice President Cheung said, "If the Chinese government does not make a quick (candidate) decision, the candidate does not need to declare their candidacy quickly. However, given the current low popularity of Chief Executive Lam, if Leung's side finds a breakthrough, there is a possibility of an early candidate decision."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.