Veteran Hong Kong lawmaker Regina Ip appointed convenor of incoming leader John Lee’s de facto cabinet

Veteran politician and former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee has been appointed convenor of incoming Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu’s de facto cabinet, with analysts expecting her to distinguish herself from her predecessor by actively defending the authorities to foreign media.

The seven new non-official members appointed to the Executive Council on Wednesday included pro-establishment lawmaker Chan Kin-por, who said he would resign as chairman of a Legislative Council committee scrutinising the government’s funding applications to “strike a proper balance” between his roles in the executive branch and legislature.

A former health minister, a campaign aide of Lee, a seasoned banker, an insurance veteran and two more lawmakers were also invited to be Lee’s advisers.

The new Exco was announced 10 days before Lee was to be sworn into office on July 1. In a statement, Lee said he was grateful to all 16 non-official members for accepting his invitation.

“Their rich experience in various fields will provide valuable input into the making of important policy decisions,” he said on Wednesday.

Confirming a previous Post report, Ip will replace Bernard Chan to become the first woman convenor of Exco, and also the first with a political affiliation, since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

The New People’s Party chairwoman, 71, fended off suggestions she should withdraw from the party she founded in 2011, which now holds five seats in the 90-seat legislature, to ensure impartiality in her new role.