Undersecretaries cite public opinion as overriding factor
Another three undersecretaries have decided to give up foreign citizenship amid growing public pressure.
Two other undersecretaries, Greg So Kam-leung and Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, made similar decisions a week ago.
A lower-tier appointee, Caspar Tsui Ying-wai, who will become political assistant to the secretary for home affairs, also applied to renounce his Canadian citizenship on Monday.
All three undersecretaries who announced their decisions yesterday cited public opinion as an overriding factor during their deliberations, while also stressing they were personal decisions, taken without any pressure from the government.
They said there was no requirement for them to renounce foreign citizenship since the Basic Law stated that only principal officials needed take such action.
The capitulation of the five undersecretaries was described by an analyst as an indication of the government's naivety and stubbornness in failing to recognise public opinion.