Hong Kong's Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa (
The move was seen by analysts, however, as a bid by Beijing to shore up the flagging fortunes of the gaffe-prone leader in his last two years at the helm of the former British colony.
Tung, selected to lead Hong Kong when control of the city switched from London to Beijing in 1997, is among 10 local nominees to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a talk shop that advises the national leadership, the Beijing-backed Wen Wei Po newspaper said.
Source said he was also being groomed to fill a vacancy in the body's group of vice chairmen, a position that confers state leadership and membership of the upper echelons of the ruling Communist Party, it said.
The list will be presented for approval to the full CPPCC when it meets in Beijing for its annual session on Thursday.
His proposed appointment has sparked media speculation that he will step down early, following two years of political crises, or take a reduced role in the final years of his administration.
Analysts like Joseph Cheng (
"This is not a sidelining exercise," Cheng, a professor of politics at Hong Kong City University, told reporters.
"There is a vacancy in the body of vice chairmen, a very prestigious body. I think they want to give him greater status in recognition of the fact that he is Hong Kong's first-ever second-term chief executive," Cheng said.
Tung, who was a leading member of the Hong Kong Cabinet under British rule, was selected as chief executive of the semi-autonomous southern Chinese enclave in 1997.
Calls for his resignation have grown since a political row over governance of the city exploded in 2003 following a huge street protest by half a million pro-democracy activists demanding citizens have the right to elect their leaders.
‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan,
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
SUFFICIENT: The president said Taiwan has enough oil for next month, with reserves covering more than 100 days and natural gas enough for 12 to 14 days A restart plan for the Guosheng Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Wanli District (萬里) and the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County’s Hengchun Township (恆春) would be submitted to the Nuclear Safety Commission by the end of the month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, reversing the government’s policy to abolish nuclear energy. On May 17 last year, Taiwan shut down its last nuclear reactor and became the first non-nuclear nation in East Asia, fulfilling the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government’s pledge of a “nuclear-free homeland.” Even without nuclear power, Taiwan can maintain a stable electricity supply until 2032,
DEROGATORY: WTO host Cameroon’s designation of Taiwan as a ‘province of China’ seriously undermines the nation’s status and rights as a WTO member, MOFA said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday condemned Cameroon for listing Taiwan as “Taiwan, Province of China” in visa documents for an upcoming WTO ministerial conference, a move that led to Taiwan’s withdrawal from the event. The designation “seriously undermined” Taiwan’s status and rights as a WTO member, the ministry said in a statement. It is the first time since 2001 that Taiwan has declined to attend a WTO Ministerial Conference. The conference is scheduled to take place from Thursday to Sunday next week in Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon. Taiwan had planned to send a delegation led by Minister Without Portfolio
RSS