Hong Kong’s John Lee calls using protests as inclusivity gauge ‘narrow-minded’

Hong Kong’s leader has brushed aside a former minister’s suggestion that encouraging protests can help the city’s image abroad, calling the argument that demonstrations prove political inclusivity “narrow-minded”.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the remarks on Sunday, two weeks after former housing and transport minister Anthony Cheung Bing-leung said encouraging groups to protest could correct misconceptions about the city’s freedoms and political diversity.

“Inclusion should not depend on protests and assemblies,” Lee said in a televised interview, without naming Cheung. “This is a very narrow-minded point of view. There are many ways to express an opinion, such as through seminars – there is no single avenue.

“We must remember that some of these events were hijacked in the past. The most important thing is to ensure that others are not affected.”

Large-scale protests have become increasingly rare in Hong Kong since Beijing imposed the national security law on the city in 2020, with critics arguing that the legislation has curtailed free speech.

The law prompted several civic groups to disband, while many opposition leaders have been the subject of high-profile criminal trials.