London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Hong Kong’s new No 2 official to take up reins as Lam heads to Beijing

Hong Kong’s new No 2 official to take up reins as Lam heads to Beijing

Chief Executive’s Office confirms earlier Post report that Carrie Lam will travel to nation’s capital on Monday to take part in Communist Party’s 100th anniversary celebrations.

Hong Kong’s chief executive and the city's top judge will be among a delegation travelling to Beijing on Monday for the Communist Party’s centenary celebrations, leaving the city’s freshly appointed No 2 official to lead events marking the 1997 handover.

Confirming an earlier Post report, a spokesman for the Chief Executive’s Office on Sunday said Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor would fly to the capital with finance chief Paul Chan Mo-po, justice minister Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, new security chief Chris Tang Ping-keung and Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, as well as several heads of the disciplined services.

In a separate statement, the judiciary confirmed Chief Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung and Justice Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor, chief judge of the High Court, had accepted an invitation to visit Beijing on Monday to attend the celebrations.

Lam’s absence will be the first time a chief executive has missed the city’s official commemoration of the 1997 handover from British to Chinese rule.

The weekly meetings of Lam’s de facto cabinet, the Executive Council, as well Legislative Council business, have been cancelled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

In the second major cabinet reshuffle of the current administration, John Lee Ka-chiu, formerly the security chief, was on Friday promoted to chief secretary, the city’s deputy leader.

The State Council also approved police chief Tang taking over Lee’s previous portfolio, with Tang’s deputy in the force Raymond Siu Chak-yee succeeding him.

Analysts said the promotion of two hardline law-and-order officials to top jobs in the Hong Kong government signalled Beijing’s firm insistence to ensure national security stayed at the top of the city’s agenda.

The party’s 100th anniversary on July 1 – the same day Hong Kong marks its return from British to Chinese rule – also represents the first time in eight months that President Xi Jinping and Lam will be attending the same public event, the previous occasion being the celebration of Shenzhen’s establishment as a special economic zone.

Lam’s office confirmed that Tang would join the delegation, while Lee would stay in Hong Kong as acting chief executive to commemorate the city’s 24th anniversary since its return to Chinese rule.

Carrie Lam with her new deputy John Lee.


Official events in Hong Kong in the morning include a flag-raising ceremony at Golden Bauhinia Square, which will be followed by a reception at the Convention and Exhibition Centre, where Lee is expected to make a speech.

About 60 other senior public figures are also set to travel to Beijing on Monday for the Communist Party’s centenary celebrations.

Among those invited for the party’s celebrations are: Tam Yiu-chung, Hong Kong’s sole delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top legislative body; Legco president Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen; and about 10 pro-establishment legislators.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×