HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s new Beijing-backed leader was sworn in today amid rising public discontent over widening inequality and lack of full democracy in the semiautonomous southern Chinese financial center.
Tens of thousands of people were expected to take to the streets later in the day in an annual protest that is an occasion for ordinary people to air their grievances over a range of issues.
Leung Chun-ying took office in an early morning ceremony overseen by Chinese President Hu Jintao, becoming Hong Kong’s third chief executive since more than a century of British colonial rule ended and China regained control of the city 15 years ago. There were sporadic clashes between demonstrators and police outside the convention center where the event took place, and a demonstrator who tried to interrupt Hu as he began hisaddress was bundled away by security officials.
Leung, a 57-year-old police officer’s son and self-made millionaire, replaces career bureaucrat Donald Tsang, who took office in 2003 and is barred from another term.
Leung takes over Hong Kong’s top job as public anger swells over a yawning income gap, skyrocketing property prices and rising unease aboutmainland China’s growing influence on the semiautonomous region.
Leung was chosen as chief executive in March, winning 689 votes from a 1,200-seat committee of business elites who mostly voted according to Beijing’s wishes. Hong Kong’s 3.4 million registered voters, who can vote for neighborhood councilors and half of all lawmakers, had no say.
Calls for democracy have been catalyzed by the way in which Leung got his job and by corruption scandals surrounding his predecessor. Ordinary Hong Kong residents fear that the political system in place since July 1, 1997, has resulted in the city’s billionaire tycoons having too much influence on senior government officials.
Pro-democracy activists were scheduled to hold an annual march later today that is expected to draw tens of thousands. The yearly event began in 2003, when half a million people turned out to protest anti-subversion legislation that was later shelved. The huge number shocked China’s authoritarian leaders, who are obsessed with maintaining control. Organizers said lastyear’s event drew more than 200,000 people, although police said the number was much lower.
Leung takes office with an approval rating far lower than his predecessors, making it tougher for him to push through changes he has promised to even out Hong Kong’s inequality.
Earlier on Saturday, a reporter for Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper said he was detained for about 15 minutes by three or four security officers after asking Hu about the 1989 military crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square.
“President Hu, have you heard that Hong Kong people hope to reverse the verdict of June 4?” the reporter, Hon Yiuting, asked. “Have you heard?”
He said the security officers told him he was too noisy and had broken rules. Other reporters also shouted questions to Hu, but they weren’t detained.
Front Section, Pages 2 on 07/01/2012