Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced Monday that she will not seek a second term after battling with democratic protesters in 2019 and then a huge surge in the coronavirus in recent weeks, resulting in pressure from both everyday citizens and the central government.
Ms. Lam said she was stepping aside for family reasons.
“There’s only one consideration and that is family. They think it’s time for me to go home,” she said.
Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary John Lee is considered the favorite to replace Ms. Lam after a selection process involving a committee of 1,500 members who are considered pro-Beijing loyalists, according to the BBC.
The 2019 protests by pro-democracy activists were a defining feature of her tenure. People took to the streets in large numbers to protest a law that could send Hong Kong residents to face courts on the mainland. It marked a pivotal erosion of civil freedoms on the island, which had enjoyed special status apart from the mainland.
In recent months, Hong Kong experienced a massive virus surge that tested China’s zero-COVID policy. The surge overwhelmed the city’s health system and put a harsh spotlight on the lower level of vaccination among the elderly.
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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