Beijing will trust me with Hong Kong’s top job, John Tsang says

Underdog in leadership race rejects speculation central government would refuse to appoint him should he win, stressing his record as finance chief

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Chief executive hopeful John Tsang Chun-wah takes part in a Facebook Live session at the Hopewell Centre in Wan Chai on Thursday. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 12:00am, 17 Feb 2017Updated: 9:21am, 17 Feb 2017

The contender who enjoys the biggest mass appeal in Hong Kong’s leadership race is confident of Beijing’s trust – even though he is not considered its preferred choice – and has rejected suggestions he will not be appointed if he wins the election next month.

In a wide-ranging interview with the Post on Thursday, former finance minister John Tsang Chun-wah said the cabinet job he held for more than nine years and the role of chief executive he is now aiming for “entailed the same level of trust” from Beijing.

And he stressed the implied significance of his handshakes with President Xi Jinping in the past two years, interpreting them as a “very strong sign of encouragement” to join the race.

“It gives me a sense of recognition. For a busy person like the president, recognising somebody, I think, is a big deal,” Tsang, 65, said.

On the trust he said he enjoyed, he added: “I think it would be inconceivable if I didn’t have the confidence of the central government while I was able to take on all those different jobs for such a long time.

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