HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG, REUTERS) - Hong Kong’s top security official will take over the city’s No. 2 spot in a Cabinet reshuffle, in the latest sign that a crackdown on dissent is central to China’s long-term plans for the Asian financial centre.
Security Secretary John Lee – a former long-time police official – will be promoted to chief secretary, replacing Mr Matthew Cheung, the official Xinhua News Agency reported, citing a decision by China’s Cabinet. The chief secretary is Hong Kong's No. 2 official after Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
The move comes just before the one-year anniversary of Beijing imposing a sweeping national security law on the former British colony and days after Mr Lee led the city’s push to shut down the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper.
Police Commissioner Chris Tang will take over Mr Lee’s position, the State Council decided, according to Xinhua. Mr Raymond Siu will take over Mr Tang’s position at the law enforcement agency.
Senior appointments are made at the recommendation of the Hong Kong government, but need final approval from Beijing. The appointments were reported earlier by local media including the South China Morning Post and Sing Tao newspapers.
Mr Lee was the most prominent Hong Kong official accusing Apple Daily, which is owned by the now-jailed media tycoon and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, of violating the security law.
The newspaper’s closure was condemned by US President Joe Biden, who called it a “sad day for media freedom in Hong Kong and around the world”.
China has been moving to stifle dissent in the former British colony since the security legislation was enacted on June 30 last year.
This week, Beijing effectively shuttered the city’s biggest newspaper critical of the government as part of efforts to tighten its grip on the media scene, while the first trial under the national security law got underway.
Earlier this year, China revamped the election system to curtail the opposition’s ability to participate in government.
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Mr Lee, one of several Hong Kong officials sanctioned by the Trump administration for their role in implementing the security law, has been an ardent backer of the legislation. He has pushed for harsh punishments for those alleged to have violated the law’s prohibitions on subversion, terrorism, secession and collusion with foreign forces.
In a press conference following the arrest of five top Apple Daily executives last week, Mr Lee said Hongkongers need to distance themselves from the suspects or “you will pay a hefty price”.
He earlier warned that prominent Hong Kong activists who had fled overseas to evade the security law – such as former politicians Nathan Law and Ted Hui – would be pursued for life.
Mr Lee has sought to broaden the scope of the security law by formally stating that police surveillance of communications comes under its scope, potentially giving the authorities broader powers to intercept information.
Mr Lee, Mr Tang and Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng have been key players in Beijing’s push to reassert its control over the former British colony.
Mrs Lam and about 60 senior public figures are set to travel to Beijing on Monday for the Communist Party’s centenary celebrations, the first time the chief executive will be out of town for the official anniversary of Hong Kong’s 1997 handover, the South China Morning Post said.
Two of the city’s four chief executives - Mrs Lam and Mr Donald Tsang - served as chief secretary before getting the top job.
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