A Hong Kong committee stacked with pro-Beijing members has voted for ex-security chief John Lee to become the city's next leader. His choice signals China is looking for someone reliable to ensure its authority in Hong Kong is never questioned again.
But the bill sparked massive anti-government protests over fears that Beijing was encroaching on Hong Kong’s autonomy, and soon morphed into calls for wider democratic rights, including universal suffrage. The government backtracked on the bill, but under Lee, police unleashed a heavy response that included the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters as well as mass arrests.
The same year, Lee and other Chinese as well as Hong Kong officials including Lam were sanctioned by the U.S. “for being involved in coercing, arresting, detaining, or imprisoning individuals under the authority of the National Security Law, as well as being involved in its development, adoption, or implementation.”
He resigned from his post in April to stand for the leadership polls. During his election campaign, YouTube terminated Lee’s channel in compliance with U.S. sanctions — a move that Lee described as “bullying” and “unreasonable.”Experts have said that Beijing’s endorsement of Lee signals the central government is looking for someone reliable to ensure that its authority in Hong Kong is never questioned again.
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