HK University president quits amid controversy

Hong Kong University's president has said he will quit next year, a move critics say is due to the controversial man-handling of student protestors during a senior Chinese official visit.

In August, during Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang's three-day visit to the city, a group of student protesters were forcibly carried away by police in the campus of the university where Li was attending an event.

The protesters, some clad in "Vindicate June 4" t-shirts referring to Tiananmen Square, had attempted to approach the venue of the event Li was attending but were shoved and one was pushed to the ground by the police.

"Vice-Chancellor Professor Lap-Chee Tsui decides not to seek re-appointment when his contract ends on 31 August 2012", a university statement received by AFP read Wednesday.

No reasons were given for his decision.

Tsui was appointed as HKU's 14th Vice-Chancellor since September 2002 and will have served two terms by 2012.

"Over the past century, the university has seen many changes and it has grown and developed with the times," Tsui said in the statement.

"I believe the university is well positioned for future opportunities and challenges, and, it will be a healthy evolution to see the next Vice Chancellor bring in fresh ideas and perspectives," he added.

Hong Kong, a southern Chinese city, maintains its own political and legal system, and guarantees civil liberties not seen on the mainland, including the right to protest.

The former British colony was formally handed back to China in 1997.