New chief secretary defends his suitability for role

Newly installed Chief Secretary John Lee on Saturday insisted he is well-suited to his new role, after concerns were raised about his experience following his promotion to the second highest position in the government.

“There is no know-all, I think, in this world,” Lee said, as he took questions from the press for the first time since his promotion.

Lee’s lack of policymaking experience was has been called into question, with critics pointing to his background as a police officer before he joined the administration. He served as undersecretary for security before becoming security chief in 2017.

“When I considered whether to take up this job, I seriously reflected on my strengths and experience,” Lee added.

He said the responsibility of policymaking lies with bureau ministers, and his job as the chief secretary is to coordinate and ensure that proposed policies meet government objectives.

“It is important that there is a senior officer to give an objective view, consider it from other angles, taking into consideration other interests and concerns, so as to ensure all the concerns and matters are addressed, and I consider that as my main function,” he said.

“I think I can do that well because I have 44 years of experience in the government, and when I make policies I don’t just consider the pros, I take exceptions to the cons, the cons usually are what members of the public are concerned with.”

Another newly promoted top official, Chris Tang, highlighted implementing Hong Kong’s own national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law as one of his top priorities as the security secretary.

“It’s something we must do according to the constitution and must carry out as soon as possible,” he told reporters.

But Tang said that with only a year remaining for the current administration, there may not be enough time to complete the legislative work.

Article 23 of the Basic Law requires the Hong Kong government to make their own laws to prohibit acts of treason, secession, sedition and subversion against the Central People’s Government.

An Article 23 bill introduced in 2003 was withdrawn after half a million people took to the streets.

Beijing has since implemented its own national security legislation on Hong Kong.