Hong Kong is counting on a former cop to address its growing list of headaches. Just don¡¯t expect the new leader to solve the housing crisis ¡ª even though Beijing has blamed the problem on social unrest, analysts say.
Incoming Chief Executive John Lee is facing a challenge that his predecessors ¡ª experienced civil servants and business mavens ¡ª failed to resolve. As the former security secretary who led the crackdown on the 2019 protests, Lee¡¯s lack of exposure to the business community and his own priority on securing stability mean the world¡¯s most unaffordable housing market isn¡¯t likely to get cheaper any time soon.
¡°All chief executives pledged to solve housing and livelihood issues when they came in. In the end, the problem of inequality and unaffordable housing continued to worsen,¡± said Ho-fung Hung, a political economy professor at Johns Hopkins University. ¡°It is not sure whether he has the caliber and expertise to deal with those problems more effectively than his predecessors.¡±
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.