Hong Kong’s culture and transportation ministers have been sacked, by recommendation of Chief Executive John Lee, state news agency Xinhua has reported.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung has been replaced by Mable Chan, the permanent secretary for the bureau.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung has been replaced by Rosanna Law, the director of housing.
Xinhua reported that The State Council of the People’s Republic of China, by chief executive Lee’s suggestion, removed Yeung and Lam from office and appointed their replacements. “The decision was made in line with the HKSAR Basic Law and based on the nomination and suggestion of HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee,” the State Council’s statement read.
Law, the incoming culture minister, took up the appointment as Director of Housing in August 2023. She sat on a task force in charge of formulating reforms to regulate Hong Kong’s infamous subdivided flats. Prior to that role, she was Commissioner for Transport.
Embattled ministers
Yeung has been under fire in recent months over his role as culture minister, as the government pushed for a “mega-events” economy to reinvigorate the city’s economy.
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) last month issued a delayed blueprint for the city’s art and creative industries after Yeung was singled out in Chief Executive John Lee’s third Policy Address this October.
Lee named the embattled CSTB in his address for failing to release the “Blueprint for Arts and Culture and Creative Industries Development,” adding that he had instructed Yeung to complete the task “as soon as possible.”
February’s Messi debacle – in which the football superstar failed to play at an exhibition match in Hong Kong – happened on Yeung’s watch.
Yeung’s bureau has been faced with an uphill battle to rebuild Hong Kong’s post-pandemic tourism appeal. Under Yeung, Hong Kong saw a resurgence of Hongkongers “heading north” into mainland China for inexpensive dining and shopping, while local consumption faltered as Chinese tourists’ consumption habits shifted away from luxury shopping.
Meanwhile, under outgoing transport minister Lam, the bureau has been tasked with regulating ride-hailing services such as Uber, and contending with misconduct and bad service among the city’s taxi drivers.
Both Lam’s and Yeung’s bureaus were established in 2022, spun off from a reorganisation drive, and adopted by chief executive Lee when he took office as the city’s leader.
Chief Executive John Lee will meet the press at 11:30 am on Thursday.
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