My Take | Li Ka-shing far from picture-perfect in city of today
- By ruining a photo opportunity for Hong Kong’s richest man, Chief Executive Carrie Lam has shown times have changed
People have long speculated that Li Ka-shing has fallen out of Beijing’s favour. Now it seems even the city’s chief executive doesn’t need to give face to our richest man.
It started off like any other photo opportunity for the news media when Li officiated at the opening this week of his Buddhist art museum at Tsz Shan Monastery in Tai Po, which he financed to commemorate both his late mother and his late wife.
The guests of honour were Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Beijing’s Hong Kong liaison office director Wang Zhimin.
In television footage, Li was seen first grabbing Wang’s hand on his left and then trying to hold Lam’s hand on his right for photo-taking in front of a commemorative plaque. Lam wouldn’t go along, then looked at her watch and walked off.
Li’s eldest son Victor Li Tzar-kuoi registered a shocked look for a split second before everyone was forced to follow Lam off the stage. She in effect spoiled the whole photo op on a big day for Li.
You can watch the whole sequence online, with some clips offering slow motion to make sure you don’t miss the key moments.