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South China Morning Post
18 hours ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong leader and administration are ‘masters' of city: liaison office chief
The leader of Hong Kong and his administration bear primary responsibility for the city's governance, the new head of the liaison office has said, while pledging to fully support local development during the second meeting between the two officials in three days. Zhou Ji, who was appointed as director of the central government's liaison office on Friday, met Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Monday morning at its building in Sai Wan, according to an official statement. They previously met at Government House on Saturday. 'The chief executive and the city's government are the masters of Hong Kong and bear primary responsibility for its governance,' Zhou was quoted as saying in the liaison office statement. 'I will fulfil my duties according to law and fully support Hong Kong in achieving better development. Liaison office Director Zhou Ji visits a community hall in Tsing Yi. Photo: Hong Kong liaison office Zhou also highlighted during the meeting that the liaison office would 'fully, accurately and unswervingly' implement the 'one country, two systems' governing principle and the policy of 'patriots administering Hong Kong'.
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.
RTHK
2 days ago
- Politics
- RTHK
Liaison office director Zhou Ji pays district visits
Liaison office director Zhou Ji pays district visits Zhou Ji visits the Cheung Hang Community Hall in Tsing Yi. Photo courtesy of the Beijing liaison office Zhou Ji says the central government has entrusted him with building a better Hong Kong. Photo courtesy of the Beijing liaison office The newly appointed director of Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong, Zhou Ji, conducted his first district visits on Sunday. Zhou, who was appointed on Friday, visited the Kowloon Women's Organisations Federation Fu Cheong Women Service Centre in Sham Shui Po, and the Cheung Hang Community Hall in Tsing Yi. The liaison office's website wrote that the director got to know more about the community and residents' lives, and acknowledged the efforts of the District Council, care teams and the three committees. Zhou said, during his time at the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, he witnessed the SAR entering a new stage of advancing from stability to prosperity. He said President Xi Jinping and central authorities have entrusted him with the liaison office role, and that he understands that he has heavy responsibilities to shoulder. The director said he will fully and accurately implement the "One Country, Two Systems" principle and "patriots administering Hong Kong", and safeguard the Constitution and the Basic Law. He said he will fully support the SAR government and Chief Executive, and support the city in leveraging its advantages with the strong support of the nation and being closely connected to the world. Zhou said he will also support Hong Kong in consolidating its status as an international finance, shipping and trading hub, developing innovation and technology, and attracting top talents. He added that the central government has entrusted him with building a better Hong Kong.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's John Lee meets new liaison office chief, vows to pursue fresh growth
Hong Kong's leader has pledged to identify fresh areas for economic growth as he expressed confidence in working with the newly appointed director of Beijing's liaison office to speed up the city's development. Advertisement Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu made the remarks as he met office director Zhou Ji at Government House on Saturday. They exchanged views on the city's challenges and opportunities and discussed ways to promote its long-term prosperity and stability. The State Council, China's cabinet, announced late on Friday it had appointed Zhou, the executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), to lead the central government's liaison office, replacing Zheng Yanxiong. Lee said in the meeting the government would focus on creating new pathways for development as the city was undergoing an economic transformation, according to an official statement. 'Hong Kong is currently undergoing an economic transformation, and ... the government will uphold fundamental principles while breaking new ground, endeavour to take forward reforms and continue to lead all sectors of Hong Kong society to embrace changes and strive for innovation, actively exploring new areas of development and growth.' Liaison office chief Zhou Ji (second left) with city leader John Lee (second right). Also attending the meeting was the director of the Chief Executive's Office, Carol Yip Man-kuen (right). Photo: ISD He also expressed confidence in working with Zhou on aligning the city with national strategies, implementing the governing principles of 'one country, two systems' and 'the people of Hong Kong administering Hong Kong' with a high degree of autonomy, while safeguarding constitutional order.
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.
