Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee (李家超) yesterday said that China’s recent removal of its top representative in the territory, known for his hardline policies on national security, had been a “normal” personnel change.
In a surprise development, China announced late on Friday that Zheng Yanxiong (鄭雁雄), the director of China’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong — Beijing’s main representative office in the territory with powerful oversight over local affairs — had been “removed” from his post.
He was replaced by Zhou Ji (周霽), a senior official with the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office on China’s State Council.
Photo: Reuters
Zheng, who played a key role in the crackdown on Hong Kong’s democratic movement in the past few years, was also stripped of his role as China’s national security adviser on a committee overseeing national security in Hong Kong.
No explanation by Beijing or Chinese state media was given for the change.
A person with knowledge of the matter said that Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd’s (長江和記實業) proposed sale of its global port network to a consortium initially led by US firm Blackrock had caught senior Chinese leaders “by surprise,” as they had not been informed beforehand and Zheng was partly blamed for that.
The person, who has spoken with the liaison office, declined to be identified as the discussions were confidential.
The liaison office gave no immediate response to faxed questions from Reuters.
Zheng had served in the post since January 2023 and while the position has no fixed term, his tenure was shorter than predecessors, including Luo Huining (駱惠寧) and Zhang Xiaoming (張曉明).
“The change of the liaison office director is I believe, as with all changes of officials, very normal,” Lee told reporters during a weekly briefing, without being drawn on reasons for the reshuffle.
“Director Zheng has spent around five years [in Hong Kong]. Hong Kong was going through a transition period of chaos to order,” Lee said, referring to the months-long pro-democracy protests that erupted across the territory in 2019 while adding that he looked forward to working with Zhou.
CK Hutchison’s ports deal has been criticized in Chinese state media as “betraying” Beijing’s interests and bowing to US political pressure.
Asked whether Zheng’s removal reflected a pivot by Beijing toward economic development from national security, Lee said Hong Kong still needed to pursue both.
“Hong Kong faces a stage where development and safety must be addressed at the same time because any development must have a safe environment,” he said.
China promulgated a powerful national security law in 2020, arresting scores of opposition democrats and activists, shuttering liberal media outlets and civil society groups, and punishing free speech with sedition — moves that have drawn international criticism.
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