Hong Kong No. 2 official says he plans to run in leadership election

Hong Kong's No. 2 official, John Lee, said on Wednesday he had resigned to run in a leadership election in May, two days after Chief Executive Carrie Lam said she will not seek a second five-year term. Lee said he was awaiting Beijing's approval for him to stand in the leadership election.

Lee, 64, a former deputy commissioner of police, was promoted to the global financial hub's No. 2 role in 2021 in a move that some political analysts said signaled Beijing's priorities for Hong Kong were related to security rather than the economy or finance.