HONG KONG—A former policeman and government security chief is poised to become Hong Kong’s next top official after declaring his intention to run for the job, a succession that would signal Beijing plans no letup in its national security crackdown in the city.
John Lee, currently the city’s No. 2 official, is the only serious candidate to so far throw his hat into the ring for the contest, which is decided by an election committee of around 1,500 mostly Beijing loyalists and closely orchestrated by China’s central government. If chosen, he would succeed Carrie Lam, who said Monday she would step down June 30 after a five-year term, her tenure marked by mass protests and a recent Covid-19 surge that killed thousands of elderly people.
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