Carrie Lam Marked by COVID in China Says "Will Not Seek Re-election"

Successor Likely to Be John Lee, the Second-in-Command Behind the Hong Kong National Security Law

Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of Hong Kong
Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, has announced that she will not seek re-election. This appears to be due to falling out of favor with the Chinese government over inadequate handling of COVID-19 towards the end of her term.

On the 4th, Lam stated, "I will not run in the upcoming Chief Executive election." She said she had informed the Chinese government of her decision not to run and added, "I plan to conclude my 42 years of service with the Hong Kong government on June 30."

Lam, who had previously hinted at multiple times about seeking re-election, suddenly decided not to run amid leadership controversies caused by her poor response during the Omicron outbreak last year.

The Financial Times reported, "While Hong Kong followed China's 'zero COVID' policy, it failed to complete vaccination of its elderly population over the past two years, resulting in a record high per capita death rate unseen anywhere else post-pandemic."

As the election is effectively proceeding according to China's script, it is reported that Lam did not receive any indication of reappointment when she met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of last year. Lam said she is stepping down to spend more time with her family.

John Lee, the Chief Secretary for Administration, is mentioned as Lam's successor. The Financial Times cited two sources saying, "John Lee, the second-in-command in the administration, will run for the next Chief Executive." Lee led the crackdown on anti-government protests in Hong Kong and the enforcement of the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law), and last year he shut down Apple Daily, Hong Kong's leading pro-democracy media outlet.

The election was originally scheduled for the 27th of last month but was postponed to the 8th of next month due to the spread of COVID-19. The next Chief Executive will take office in July after approval from the Chinese government.

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