Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing, is continuing to support scandal-plagued chief executive candidate Henry Tang Ying-yen despite a meeting with Vice-President Xi Jinping at which he is thought to have been asked to switch sides.
The news that the Cheung Kong chairman is sticking to his guns after the one-on-one meeting came as four leaders of the pro-business Liberal Party decided to cast blank votes in Sunday's election and allow 25 party members to do the same or vote for Tang. Twenty-nine Liberals with a vote in the election nominated Tang.
An Election Committee member who nominated Tang told the Post that Li was invited to meet Xi, head of Hong Kong affairs, in Beijing last Thursday. 'Xi asked Li to support Leung Chun-ying, but Li insisted on backing Tang,' the Election Committee member said. A day after his private meeting with the state leader, Li publicly voiced his support for Tang, while dismissing suggestions that he would withdraw his investments from Hong Kong if Leung wins the poll.
A Cheung Kong spokeswoman had no comment on Li's meeting with Xi.
In a letter sent to all Election Committee members last night, Leung pledged that, if elected, he would be inclusive and unite all sectors of the community, including supporters of other candidates.
A Beijing source familiar with the central government's thinking said top mainland officials met several Hong Kong business heavyweights after the National People's Congress on March 14.