Exclusive | Former leader CY Leung warns window of opportunity for Hong Kong closing fast and visionary leader needed to unlock national potential
- Speaking with the Post, Leung says Hong Kong has been ‘sleeping’ while mainland China learned to trade with the rest of the world
- He also addresses lingering public resentment after the social unrest, the leadership of the Election Committee and the question of whether he will run in March
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What leadership does HK need? Former Chief Executive CY Leung on Talking Post with Yonden Lhatoo
With less than two months to go before a new leader is decided by a 1,463-member Election Committee, and incumbent Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor yet to state whether she will run for a second term, Leung has repeatedly dodged questions as to whether he will join the race.
Asked to explain his intentions behind an increasingly vocal and visible political profile, Leung told the Post in a wide-ranging interview that he was acting as “a member of the local community” with the knowledge and experience to help identify solutions for Hong Kong’s problems and secure its future.
His successor faced far worse unrest in 2019 when mass protests against an ill-fated extradition bill exploded into months of street violence.
“I’m not going to re-answer that question. I’ve answered it many times in the past six years. I’m not going to repeat my answer,” he said when asked if he would run for chief executive again.
