Hong Kong chief executive election 2022: final pieces fall into place for John Lee as Beijing approves resignation as No 2 official

The former career police officer-turned-top bureaucrat sent out an invitation to an online press conference on Saturday, which he described as his “declaration of candidacy”. Lee gave little away earlier on Friday, only saying that he would reveal his “next moves” at the press conference and touting his credentials for the city’s highest office without directly referring to it.

“I have worked in the government for 45 years. I have been taking part in different positions, which provided me with a lot of valuable experiences, knowledge and abilities. It has also broadened my vision,” said Lee, 64, as he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve the public. “Tomorrow, at the press conference, I shall be explaining to you my next moves.”

Lee said on Wednesday that if his resignation was supported by the central government, he would prepare to throw his hat in the ring. The State Council gave its approval the next day and removed Lee from the office of chief secretary, in accordance with the Basic Law and upon the recommendation of incumbent leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Xinhua News Agency reported on Friday morning. But in a departure from previous practice, the report did not announce his replacement.

Beijing’s quick response has been interpreted by some analysts as a barometer of its support for his bid. By comparison, the central government took four days in 2017 to approve Lam’s notice that she was stepping down as chief secretary in hopes of joining the race and 35 days to accept the resignation of then financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah to pave the way for his leadership bid.

Lam was asked on Friday about her recommendation for the vacated post, and whether the government’s work would be hampered by the lack of Lee’s immediate successor. She declined to disclose the name she had put forward, saying only she had not received any notification from Beijing as to who would fill the role.

“The chief secretary’s job includes coordinating the government’s anti-epidemic work, so this vacancy would affect our efforts,” she said. “But the work will be handled by others, and I was also a chief secretary for more than four years, so it will not cause a big problem.”