Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed No. 2 official, Chief Secretary for Administration Henry Tang (唐英年), yesterday stepped down from his post to pave the way for a widely expected bid to become the financial hub’s next chief executive.
Tang said he had tendered his resignation, which still requires approval from Beijing, and while he stopped short of confirming a formal run for the territory’s highest office, politicians and analysts are virtually certain he will do so.
“I know deep in my heart that this would be a great challenge for me,” Tang told reporters. “I need to consider how to respond to the wishes and aspirations of our people.”
Photo: Reuters
A former textile tycoon and known as a wine connoisseur, Tang is seen as the frontrunner for the top job, having been groomed by senior Chinese officials to take over the reins from bow tie-sporting Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang (曾蔭權).
Tang, 59, is a wealthy “princeling” of Hong Kong’s elite.
His father, Tang Hsiang-chien (唐翔千), a textile industrialist from Shanghai, was branded a rightist during Mao Zedong’s (毛澤東) Cultural Revolution, but was later rehabilitated. He fostered close ties to former president and fellow Shanghainese Jiang Zemin (江澤民).
Reportedly singled out by Jiang at an early age, Henry Tang was fast-tracked into the higher echelons of government in 2002 to gain valuable governance experience.
After stints as commerce and financial secretary, Tang was promoted to chief secretary in 2007, leading the civil service.
The people of Hong Kong have no direct say in their next leader, who will be chosen in March by a 1,200-member election committee stacked with Beijing loyalists.
Complicating the political algebra this time round is a likely challenge from a second Beijing loyalist and prominent government adviser, Leung Chun-ying (梁振英), who is seen by some as a tougher and potentially more visionary leader than Tang.
“China favors Tang because he can handle the civil service, but I think when the secret ballot comes I’m not sure who’s going to win,” said Allen Lee (李鵬飛), a political pundit and former member of China’s National People’s Congress.
Dismissed by critics as a mediocre administrator, analysts say Tang still represents Beijing’s best option for now.
“A great leader may not necessarily fit the conditions for chief executive. They want loyalty and trust. These are the most important things in the eyes of Beijing’s leaders,” said James Sung (宋立功), a political analyst at the City University of Hong Kong.
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