Fernando Chui will automatically become the next chief executive of Macao, the smaller of China’s two special administrative regions after Hong Kong, having secured 95 per cent support from the members of a pro-Beijing “election committee”.

Mr Chui, Macao’s former secretary for social and cultural affairs, told reporters on Tuesday he had obtained 286 nominations from the territory’s 300-member election committee. With 50 nominations required to enter the race, no one else will be able to run against him.