[News Figures] 'Dong Jingwei' Appointed Head of Hong Kong National Security Office

'Dong Jingwei (董經緯·59)' is the director of the Hong Kong National Security Office, formerly the deputy minister (vice minister) of the Ministry of State Security, known as Guoanbu (國安府), responsible for intelligence and counter-espionage in China.

He was born on November 18, 1963, in Zhaoxian, Hebei Province. From February 2006 to March 2017, he served as the head of the Hebei Provincial State Security Department, which produced many close aides to Chinese President Xi Jinping, and is regarded as one of the key figures in Xi's administration.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is inspecting the Hong Kong Science Park last June with Carrie Lam, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong.
[Photo by Hong Kong Xinhua/Yonhap News]

In 2012, he was a delegate to the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and in 2017, a delegate to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and served as the director of the Political Department of the Ministry of State Security. He also served as a member of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and vice chairman of its board of directors. Since his promotion to deputy minister (vice minister) of the Ministry of State Security in April 2018, he has been directing China's counter-espionage activities.

Dong Jingwei has emphasized that "to excel in counter-espionage work, one must catch not only spies but also internal traitors and their backers." Although there were media reports in 2021 claiming he defected to the United States with his daughter, these reports were proven false.

According to Xinhua News Agency on the 19th, the State Council of China appointed Dong Jingwei as the director of the Hong Kong National Security Office. This organization was established by the Chinese government when it enacted and implemented the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020. It holds investigative authority over matters related to the security law, which allows for life imprisonment for four types of crimes: secession, subversion of state power, terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign forces.

The inaugural director, Zheng Yanxiong, moved to become the head of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Zhonglianpan) in January. By appointing hardline pro-China figures consecutively as the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, the head of the Liaison Office in Hong Kong, and now the head of the National Security Office, it is analyzed that the Chinese government is further strengthening its control over Hong Kong.

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