Outgoing Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying nominated to join China’s top political advisory body
Leader slated to join Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and could even be elevated to status of vice-chairman
Hong Kong’s outgoing chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, has been nominated to the mainland’s top political advisory body, a move that could pave the way for him to become a vice-chairman.
The elevation would follow past practice of giving former top Hong Kong and Macau leaders ranking positions in the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and turn Leung – widely unpopular at home – into an elder statesman.
The advisory body’s standing committee has received a list of nominees to be considered during the upcoming session, according to Chan Wing-kee, a Hong Kong tycoon and committee member. Other names put forward include Shang Fulin, the former chairman of the China Banking Regulatory Commission; Xu Shaoshi, former chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission; and former commerce minister Gao Hucheng.
“There is a meeting on Tuesday to pass the nominations,” Chan said. “The CPPCC will vote on various issues including personnel matters in the closing ceremony of the upcoming session in March.”
Chan said the list made no reference to the likelihood of Leung becoming vice-chairman, which the South China Morning Post first reported two weeks ago, but he described the nomination as meaningful. “He decided not to run for chief executive again, but he could continue to contribute to Hong Kong by joining the CPPCC and [go onto] even higher office,” Chan said.