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South China Morning Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Beijing taps personnel veteran Xu Qifang for Hong Kong and Macau post
Beijing has appointed Xu Qifang, a former Communist Party personnel official, to the second-most senior position in its top body managing Hong Kong and Macau affairs. Advertisement Xu, 60, the former deputy chief of the party's Organisation Department has become the executive deputy director of the Central Committee's Hong Kong and Macau Work Office, according to several sources. The sources said Xu would be promoted from deputy ministerial to full ministerial rank. As the office's executive director, Xu reports to director Xia Baolong , who oversees the office's daily operations. '[Xu] has reported to work at the Hong Kong and Macau Work Office. Senior officials in the office have met with him,' said one source who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. He has been a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, China's top political advisory body, since 2023. Advertisement Xu fills the vacancy left by Zhou Ji , who was parachuted south to become the director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong after former liaison office chief Zheng Yanxiong was abruptly removed at the end of May after two years in the position. At the end of June, Beijing announced Zheng's appointment as deputy director of the National People's Congress' Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee, confirming an earlier report by the Post.
South China Morning Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why is top Beijing official Xia Baolong in Hong Kong for a 5-day visit?
Beijing's point man overseeing Hong Kong affairs has begun a five-day fact-finding visit to the city, his third since taking office. Sources have said Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, will focus on assessing the city's progress on both development and security fronts. The Post examines the importance of Xia's visits to the city – from his past itineraries to messages issued to city officials. 1. What will Xia be doing during his visit? Xia will attend a national security law forum on Saturday to mark the Beijing-promulgated law's fifth anniversary. According to several sources, Xia will meet university chiefs and senior educators on Thursday, to discuss how local varsities could boost technological collaboration with mainland China, and nurture and retain global talent. Those expected to meet the Beijing official include Xiang Zhang from the University of Hong Kong, Nancy Ip Yuk-yu from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, and Polytechnic University's Teng Jin-Guang. Xia was also expected to inspect the city's outlying islands to monitor progress on the city's tourism development and the Northern Metropolis megaproject, as well as meet community members, including Kenneth Lau Ip-keung, chairman of rural body the Heung Yee Kuk, to hear their views on the development.
South China Morning Post
11-06-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Beijing slams Washington for supporting jailed Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong
China's foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong on Wednesday voiced its disapproval of the United States' 'blatant support' of jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, while accusing Washington of smearing police's enforcement actions. Last Friday, Hong Kong national security police levelled a fresh charge against Joshua Wong Chi-fung, accusing him of conspiring with fugitive ex-lawmaker Nathan Law Kwun-chung to collude with foreign forces five years ago. A US Department of State spokesman strongly condemned the move, arguing that Wong was already serving an 'unjust sentence' and it could see him facing life in prison. He argued that the fresh charge showed Beijing never planned to realise promises of a 'high degree of autonomy' and civil liberties for Hongkongers. 'This tragic assault on Hong Kong's future – including the future of Joshua Wong and other activists languishing in custody or exiled for defending their fundamental freedoms – only proves Beijing never meant to keep its promises to maintain Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and civil liberties,' the spokesman said. The Commissioner's Office of China's Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong on Wednesday condemned the US for interfering in Hong Kong affairs with its 'blatant support' of Wong.
South China Morning Post
30-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Beijing removes Zheng Yanxiong as head of liaison office in Hong Kong
Zheng Yanxiong has been removed as director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong and the Chinese government has appointed Zhou Ji, the executive deputy director of the top Beijing office for the city's affairs, to replace him. Advertisement The State Council, China's cabinet, announced late on Friday that Zhou, the executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), had been appointed to lead the central government's liaison office in the city. Zhou Ji, the executive deputy director of the top Beijing office for the city's affairs, will replace Zheng Yanxiong. Photo: Handout In a brief statement, it also said it had removed Zheng, 61, from all three of his posts, namely as the director of the liaison office, as deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and as adviser to the city's national security committee. It was not immediately clear what prompted the replacement or where Zheng would be posted next. Zhou, who was appointed as executive deputy director of the HKMAO in 2023, will also take over Zheng's role on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of Hong Kong. Advertisement More to follow …
