Does Xi Jinping handshake mean John Tsang will be Hong Kong’s next leader? ‘No’, says current chief CY Leung

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying today dismissed rumours one of his key ministers had got the nod from Beijing to be Hong Kong’s next leader after President Xi Jinping offered an eyebrow-raising handshake to the financial secretary at a key international meeting last month.

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Published: 11:30am, 7 Jul 2015Updated: 7:30pm, 7 Jul 2015

CY Leung shakes hands with President Xi Jinping last year. Photo: Simon Song

Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying today dismissed rumours one of his key ministers had got the nod from Beijing to be Hong Kong’s next leader after President Xi Jinping offered an eyebrow-raising handshake to the financial secretary at a key international meeting last month.

Speculation that finance chief John Tsang Chun-wah could be a dark horse for the 2017 chief executive election mounted after Xi approached and wordlessly shook hands with him at the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank meeting in Beijing last month, attended by 57 founding member states.

Xi did not extend the same gesture to other members of the Chinese delegation.

However, asked about the incident this morning, Leung refused to attach any significance to the handshake other than Xi’s backing for Hong Kong.

“President Xi has all along been very supportive of Hong Kong,” Leung said.

“It is normal for him to offer our representative official a ceremonial handshake at an event that is attended by international figures.”

Leung said such a gesture had been seen on previous occasions.

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