Hong Kong finance chief ‘has the qualifications’ for city leader, but blasting US in report shouldn’t be read as political manoeuvring, heavyweight says

‘I don’t think he’s trying to show off his personal performance,’ Regina Ip says of Paul Chan report accusing Washington of using city as a pawn

The report, which came just days after Beijing issued a ‘criminal record’ of US actions, has sparked speculation finance chief is eyeing higher office

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Financial Secretary Paul Chan (in black jacket) poses for a selfie with a group of admirers at the Hong Kong Book Fair. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Published: 4:11pm, 28 Sep 2021Updated: 11:18pm, 28 Sep 2021

Hong Kong’s financial chief “has the qualifications” to be a contender for the city’s next leader, pro-establishment veteran Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has said, although “many others” also fall into this category.

But the Executive Council member, who has herself run for chief executive twice before, also warned against interpreting Paul Chan Mo-po’s new report on the city’s business environment as an attempt to showcase himself ahead of the March election.

The unprecedented report, released on Monday, catalogued the “severe damage” the 2019 anti-government protests caused the city’s business environment and blamed Washington for a “strategy of suppressing China” by using the city as a “pawn”.

The content and timing have sparked speculation in some quarters that it was an attempt to position himself for a potential run for higher office.

Lawmaker Regina Ip, chairwoman of the New People’s Party. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

But Ip cautioned against reading too much into the report’s release.