City Beat | Now the first horse has bolted, the stakes have been raised in the race for Hong Kong’s top job

“A tossed stone raises a thousand ripples” – many must have been reminded of this Chinese saying when retired judge Woo Kwok-hing shocked the whole town by declaring his intention to run for Hong Kong’s top job.

The “thousand ripples” could translate into how many and how soon other “dark horses” will be prompted to join the race, including incumbent Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah, lawmaker Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor.

The ripple effect could also involve reactions and policy adjustments from Beijing, which, until now, is still silent on whom it prefers.

Interestingly, when Woo held his high-profile press conference in his campaign office packed with hundreds of reporters, it so happened to be a significant day for President Xi Jinping. After the closing of the sixth plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, it was noticed that for the first time Xi was officially named the “core” of the party leadership, as the plenum’s communiqué also urged further enhancement of the anti-corruption campaign.

Speculation had it that Beijing would only consider hinting at whom to pick after the plenum, or even in December after the new election committee is formed. Will there be a change, now that the chief executive race has kicked off earlier than expected, thanks to Woo?

Zhang Xiaoming, Beijing’s top representative in the city, was seen speaking in a group discussion during the plenum, according to the official China Central Television. This may disappoint those who want to see Zhang’s departure from the city, as they feel the liaison office, under his leadership, has become too actively involved in certain local issues. It is also a clear sign of Beijing keeping a close eye on Hong Kong’s latest situation.