China Appoints Five Communist Party Officials to Oversee Hong Kong Issues

Shabaolong Appointed as Chief Deputy Director

China has appointed five senior Communist Party officials specializing in security and foreign affairs to oversee Hong Kong issues.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 16th, among the appointees are Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, which oversees Hong Kong affairs for the Chinese government; and from the 21st Central Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China, Star Feng, head of the United Front Work Department, and Chen Yuanqing, secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission. From the State Council, Wang Xiaohong, Minister of Public Security, and Qin Gang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, were also selected.

Ding Xueshang, Vice Minister of Commerce of China.
Photo by Yonhap News

The leader of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Leading Group will be Ding Xuexiang, the State Council’s Executive Vice Premier (Chief). The Work Leading Group is a permanent consultative body established by the Party to handle core national policy agendas. Its status is second only to that of a committee.

Xia Baolong, a close aide to President Xi Jinping, is expected to serve as the chief deputy leader among the five. Xia inspected Hong Kong on the 13th, reviewing the financial, education, and housing sectors, and is reported to discuss reforms to the district council election system and the separate enactment of a Hong Kong version of the national security law.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.