Gerontocrats in Hong Kong’s New Government

Beyond age, loyalty is the new criteria

Hong Kong’s incoming chief executive, the former policeman and security chief John Lee Ka-chiu, not only arrives with Beijing’s blessing and instructions. He surely knows how to co-opt members of traditional elite timeservers to provide a facade of normality, continuity, and cooperative spirit.

Lee has now appointed the 16 unofficial members of the Execu…