Hong Kong’s leader said he asked for China’s permission to resign Thursday, fueling worries that he was actually sacked by the territory’s Communist masters to tighten their grip on the former British colony while it pushes for more democracy.
After ignoring 10 days of rumors that he was quitting, Tung Chee-hwa called a news conference and told reporters that he wanted to step down with two years left in his term. He said that he has been having unspecified health problems since late last year.
“My health was obviously not as good as it used to be” Tung said.
“If I continue as chief executive, I won’t be able to handle it,” he added.
Tung said that he tendered his resignation, but he didn’t say whether China’s leadership has accepted it. He denied that China pushed him out.
Tung’s exit triggers Hong Kong’s first leadership change since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a “one country, two systems” formula, designed to give the territory a wide degree of autonomy.
Many have speculated that the real reason for Tung’s early departure was that his bosses in Beijing lost faith in his ability to run the global financial capital, which has become increasingly politicized. The last two years of Tung’s rule have seen the largest-ever street protests for greater democracy and less Chinese control — displays that alarmed China.
“Beijing has been tightening political freedoms to make sure Hong Kong is not in troubled waters,” said James Sung, a political analyst at City University who believes Beijing dumped Tung. “But with Tung’s political skills and judgment, he is clearly not up for the job.”
