Hong Kong elections
Voting for Hong Kong’s next leader begins
Pro-democracy protesters are surrounded by police officers. Photo: Kin Cheung/AP/dpa
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Voting on the next head of government has begun in Hong Kong. Around 1,500 members of an election committee loyal to Beijing cast their votes in a convention center in the Chinese special administrative region.
Voting on the next head of government has begun in Hong Kong. Around 1,500 members of an election committee loyal to Beijing cast their votes in a convention center in the Chinese special administrative region.
It is certain that the only candidate running, John Lee, will win the sham election. Lee was previously the head of security in the former British colony and is considered a political hardliner.
Since the Chinese government installed a vague national security law for Hong Kong in the summer of 2020, the authorities have targeted the pro-democracy movement, independent media and other critics. Much of the former political opposition is now in prison or has withdrawn.
Hong Kong’s reputation as an international financial metropolis has not only suffered from political repression. The corona pandemic has also hit the city hard economically, especially the recently relaxed border closures and strict quarantine regulations.