Latest news with #HKMAO
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
New liaison office chief in first public appearance with Hong Kong community visit
The director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong made his first visit to the community on Sunday, two days after he took up the role , saying his appointment came with heavy responsibilities but reflected the trust Chinese President Xi Jinping placed in him. Zhou Ji, the executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), replaced Zheng Yanxiong as head of the central government's liaison office, the State Council announced on Friday. Zhou also met Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Saturday. According to the liaison office's website, Zhou visited a community centre of the Kowloon Women's Organisations Federation in Fu Cheong Estate in Sham Shui Po and Cheung Hang Community Hall in Tsing Yi on Sunday. He was seen meeting local residents and volunteers of a community care team, which set up booths for free health check-ups. Zhou said Xi was deeply concerned about the well-being of Hong Kong residents. 'It is a great honour to work at the liaison office. This signifies the profound trust placed in me by General Secretary Xi Jinping and the Central Committee,' Zhou said. 'I deeply understand the immense responsibility this entails and am resolved to fully, accurately and unswervingly implementing the 'one country, two systems' and 'patriots ruling Hong Kong' principles.' He said he would resolutely uphold the constitutional order and the Basic Law, as well as firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.
CNA
3 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Beijing appoints a new top representative to Hong Kong
Zheng Yanxiong has been removed as director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong and the central government has appointed Zhou Ji, the executive deputy director of its top office for the city's affairs, to replace him. The State Council, China's cabinet, announced late on Friday (May 30) 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. 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. In a statement, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu welcomed Zhou and thanked Zheng for his support of Hong Kong in the past. 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. Zheng was appointed as head of the liaison office in January of that year to succeed Luo Huining, who was 68 at the time. Zheng was appointed as deputy director of the HKMAO earlier that same year. Last month, he urged the Hong Kong government to speed up the development of the Northern Metropolis and strengthen the city's cooperation with mainland China to become a 'superconnector' and 'super value-adder' for the digital economy. The city leader also extended his gratitude to Zheng for upholding the 'one country, two systems' principle in safeguarding national security and maintaining constitutional order during his more than two years as liaison office chief, noting the Beijing official's full support for the local legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law, the city's mini-constitution. 'Zheng Yanxiong has fully supported the HKSAR government in fulfilling its constitutional responsibility and historic mission of completing the local legislation for Article 23 of the Basic Law,' Lee said in the statement in Chinese. Lee said since Zhou had taken up his role with the HKMAO in 2023 he had been directly involved in the management and coordination of Hong Kong affairs and was deeply familiar with the country's policies for the city. He added that Zhou last year led a team to Hong Kong to carry out an inspection and research, coordinating work on the implementation of a series of central policies to support the city and conveying Beijing's strong support for the financial hub's development and its care and concern for Hongkongers. Zhou also had extensive experience in formulating and implementing policy, as well as rich experience in regional governance, Lee said, citing the Beijing official's previous posts in Hubei and Henan. He had no work experience in Hong Kong or Macau when he was made the No 2 official at the HKMAO. His appointment was part of the office's upgrade to a higher-level outfit reporting directly to the Communist Party leadership. Last month, Zhou attended a high-level conference in Hangzhou, the capital of tech powerhouse Zhejiang province, where Lee was leading a delegation. Zhou said at the event that Hong Kong had won global recognition amid the US-China trade war by maintaining its 'strategic determination to firmly uphold the international order, the multilateral trading system and the city's status as a separate customs entity'. He reiterated that Beijing would always fully support Hong Kong in taking advantage of its uniqueness and deepening cooperation with mainland provinces and cities, which would serve the country's overall development. 'With the strong leadership of the central government and the institutional strengths of the 'one country, two systems' governing principle, the cooperation between the two places will surely be able to lead the nation's high-quality development,' he said at the event. Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, told the Post that Zhou was a very seasoned official. 'He should have greater political powers in implementing the central government's policies in Hong Kong,' he said.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Beijing appoints a new top representative to Hong Kong
Zheng Yanxiong has been removed as director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong and the central government has appointed Zhou Ji, the executive deputy director of its top office for the city's affairs, to replace him. 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. 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. In a statement, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu welcomed Zhou and thanked Zheng for his support of Hong Kong in the past. 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. Zheng was appointed as head of the liaison office in January of that year to succeed Luo Huining, who was 68 at the time.
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- 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 …
South China Morning Post
09-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
‘Good start' by new Macau administration, Beijing's point man says on visit
Macau's 'resolute implementation' of Chinese President Xi Jinping's orders has led to a good start by the new administration, Beijing's point man on the city's affairs has said on the second day of a fact-finding mission. Advertisement Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), also said on Friday that Chief Executive Sam Hou-fai's maiden policy address last month had embodied the 'spirit of courage'. A statement issued by the Macau government quoted Xia as saying that Sam had led the administration in its 'resolute implementation' of the 'spirit of the important speeches' made by Xi during his visits to Macau and of the central authorities' decisions. 'Such effort has led to a good start for the new-term government,' Xia was quoted as saying. The policy address had 'embodied a spirit of courage and covered a wide range of topics, for which the central authorities express their affirmation and full support'. During a visit last December to mark the 25th anniversary of the city's return to Chinese administration and swear in Sam, Xi had urged Macau to avoid complacency, strive to attract a broad range of talent and play a bigger role on the international stage. Advertisement In his policy address, titled 'Innovate to elevate; forge ahead to break new ground', Sam pledged to continue diversifying Macau's economy away from gambling, further strengthen development with the Hengqin New Area and safeguard national security. Hengqin, an island in neighbouring Zhuhai, is jointly managed by the Guangdong and Macau governments.
