Next city leader must possess great fortitude

Hong Kong’s next chief executive will be elected on May 8. However, this election is unlike any other. First, the global political climate has evolved such that the West, spearheaded by the United States, has become increasingly hostile towards China. The US hopes to keep China in check by the strengthening of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, essentially creating an Asian version of Nato.

The US and UK governments have recently issued reports on Hong Kong. These reports may be intended, by fundamentally discrediting the city’s new electoral system, to also discredit China’s democratic systems. Such attacks mislead people about China, and are aimed at undermining China’s authority on a global scale.

The Hong Kong government is of the opinion that US interference played a role in 2019’s street violence. The central government then put in place a national security law for Hong Kong, which means nothing can be achieved through such violence.

This may be why foreign forces have turned their attention to Hong Kong’s electoral system instead, perhaps in the hope of finding another way to hinder China’s development. In the past, Hong Kong’s electoral system allowed many anti-China politicians to enter the Legislative Council and District Councils.

Hong Kong is facing a complicated international situation and is only just emerging from the fifth wave of the pandemic. What qualities must the sixth chief executive have to face these challenges?

What the new chief executive must possess is fortitude. Not only must he have excellent leadership abilities, but also the intellect to comprehend the complex political climate as well as the trends in China’s development. He should love China and Hong Kong too.

Dr Kevin Lau Chung Hang, director, Trinity Medical Group