The sole candidate in Hong Kong’s leadership election, John Lee Ka-chiu , held a final campaign rally on Friday with renewed promises to restore hope, strengthen the city’s international status as a financial hub, and build it into a vibrant metropolis over the next five years. Warning that the city could not afford to waste any more time, the former career policeman turned bureaucrat appealed to everyone to come together and work with him to “start a new chapter” for Hong Kong. The rally at the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai was a carefully staged event before an audience of nearly 1,500 people, including district representatives, political heavyweights and business leaders. Inclusivity was underscored by the official theme, “We and Us: A New Chapter for Hong Kong”, and the rally featured speakers such as a secondary school student, an ethnic minority representative and an Olympic medallist. Lee, 64, again set out the key directions of his manifesto – boosting governance capabilities, tackling land and housing shortages, consolidating the city’s competitiveness, and building a caring and inclusive society. The former security tsar also offered a rare glimpse into his upbringing, harking back to the time when his father was able to afford the luxury of buying a television set, and sharing it with neighbours in their small flat in a public housing estate. “My family invited some neighbours to come and watch TV together, and they were so happy. I realised that the relationship between neighbours can be so simple, direct and genuine. We can feel the warmth when we do one thing together,” he said. “In the five years ahead of us, the Hong Kong that I will build with you will be a Hong Kong that is caring, inclusive, diverse and full of vibrancy and hope … If I am elected on May 8, I will do one thing with Hong Kong people, that is starting a new chapter for this city together.” Lee is poised to be voted into power on Sunday by a 1,461-member Election Committee among whom he already enjoys majority support as the man with Beijing’s blessing. Among the tycoons attending were: Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, chairman and group co-managing director of CK Hutchison Holdings; Robert Ng Chee Siong, the chairman of Sino Land; Adam Kwok Kai-fai, executive director of Sun Hung Kai; Gordon Wu Ying-sheung, chairman of Hopewell Holdings; and Charles Ho Tsu-kwok, former chairman of Sing Tao News Corporation. Yet the rally, which started with the guests singing the national anthem, did not put any of the tycoons in the spotlight and instead featured short speeches from seven speakers. Wong Nga-yu, a Form Four student from Pui Kiu Middle School, expressed hope that the business sector would give young people more opportunities to learn about mainland Chinese cities, while ethnic minority leader Lachmandas Nandkumar said he appreciated Lee’s efforts to forge “unity, integration and togetherness” during his time as chief secretary. Olympic table tennis bronze medallist Doo Hoi-kem likened the support from her teammates, coach and the country to the “we and us” touted in Lee’s election slogan, and called upon the candidate to turn sports into a “common language and lifelong career” available to young people. “I hope that the new government will unite Hong Kong, as we deeply love this city,” she said. The event also included an appearance from Leung Chun-ying, the chief executive from 2012 to 2017 and currently a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the nation’s top advisory body. In his speech, Leung did not mention the former security chief by name but urged Election Committee members to cast their vote so the city could move forward together. “As Hong Kong faces both opportunities and challenges … the whole society needs to have the same desires and minimise infighting,” he said. “I believe that with the central government’s support, the new administration will administer Hong Kong under the Basic Law and guide the city in contributing to the nation’s development.” Other speakers included National People’s Congress deputy David Wong Yau-kar, former police chief Tang King-shing and University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital chief executive Professor Lo Chung-mau. John Lee vows to make reopening Hong Kong’s borders a priority Towards the end, the host of the event asked audience members to raise their lit-up mobile phones as Lee took to the stage and spoke about the challenges Hong Kong was facing. “Amid drastic changes across the world and complex international relationships, Hong Kong must seize opportunities – it cannot wait, and it cannot be late,” he said. “Hong Kong must consolidate its status as an international metropolis and give full play to its strengths as a free and open city that connects with the world and the mainland … My philosophy is not to rely on myself or the government to do things, I will unite all forces in society and solve problems together.” But analysts gave a mixed view of Lee’s rally. While some said he should be applauded for trying to show his connection to public housing tenants, others argued that the event lacked a human touch and the excitement generated at similar events hosted by other election candidates in the past. Professor Song Sio-chong, of Shenzhen University’s Centre for Basic Laws of Hong Kong and Macau, said that by talking about his childhood, Lee was trying to demonstrate he was a typical resident with deep roots in the city. “Unlike other former officials, there was not much from his police career for Lee to boast about, so he had to emphasise these other anecdotes to resonate with as many people as possible,” he said. “He also sought to distance himself from the tycoons … but at the end of the day, he must recruit credible and talented newcomers as senior officials in order to win people’s hearts and administer Hong Kong successfully.” New People’s Party lawmaker Eunice Yung Hoi-yan, who attended the rally, said she was touched by the secondary school student sharing her vision for Hong Kong. “The unity demonstrated in the rally was like a heart-strengthening shot,” she said. “I am confident that Lee will lead Hong Kong to a brighter future.” Hong Kong candidate calls for opportunities for young jailed protesters But political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung of Chinese University argued that Lee’s recollections from his youth failed to deliver enough impact. He noted that incumbent leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor had former unionist lawmaker Lau Chin-shek share anecdotes about her during the candidate’s rally in 2017. “The human touch was much stronger coming from someone else,” Choy said, adding that Lee, dressed in a suit, would strike people as an “executive officer”.