Ex-Cop Named Hong Kong’s No. 2 as China Prioritizes Security
- John Lee led campaign against Jimmy Lai’s Apple Daily paper
- Former police official sanctioned by U.S. over security law
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Hong Kong’s top security official will take over the city’s No. 2 spot in a cabinet reshuffle, the latest sign that a crackdown on dissent is central to China’s long-term plans for the Asian financial center.
Security Secretary John Lee -- a former long-time police official -- has been promoted to chief secretary for administration, Hong Kong’s top official, Carrie Lam, told a news conference Friday alongside Lee and other security officials receiving promotions. China’s cabinet approved the appointments Wednesday, the official Xinhua News Agency said. The next day a campaign led by Lee forced Apple Daily, the city’s biggest pro-democracy newspaper, to shut down.