On April 20, 2021, Sun Guangqi, Gong Rui and Wang Kai, three Chinese, were appointed as directors of Bauhinia Hong Kong.
The Bauhinia Hong Kong Group, which was established the year before last and is regarded as a “cultural central enterprise”, has recently replaced three mainland Chinese directors, one of whom has the same name as the director of the Department of Economic Construction of China’s Ministry of Finance. According to scholars, the fact that the director of an important State Council department is the director of Bauhinia indicates that Beijing is keen to strengthen the united front in Hong Kong. Senior mainland media professionals believe that the Chinese Propaganda Department no longer avoids suspicion and personally controls the registered media in Hong Kong. (By Wen Haixin)
Ming Pao reported on Monday (10) that Bauhinia Culture (Hong Kong) Group Limited (hereinafter referred to as “Bauhinia Hong Kong”), which had earlier taken over the ownership of Phoenix TV, has recently undergone personnel changes. The newly appointed director is suspected to be a mainland official.
Zheng Yushuo: the first Ministry of Finance level Beijing officials in charge of the Hong Kong media
City University of Hong Kong former political science professor Zheng Yushuo interviewed by this station, he said, the past “United Front” media in Hong Kong are directed by the Liaison Office, but the newly established central enterprises by the important cadres in charge, it can be seen that the central government attaches great importance to this, in Hong Kong can also be said to be the first time. He analyzed Beijing to control the media in Hong Kong, the arrangement so that “Bauhinia Hong Kong” to grasp more resources and more power to coordinate the media.
Zheng Yushuo said: the country is also very concerned about the level, if he presides over the most important cultural media group of the United Front in Hong Kong, he needs to have a considerable status in order to command other media organizations within the United Front, such as Ta Kung, Wen Hui, or the propaganda department cadres within the Liaison Office. If he is a Secretary, he is at least at the same level as the head of the propaganda department in charge of the Liaison Office, and since he is a Beijing official, a more important department, he arguably has a small advantage in terms of rank.
Gao Yu: I believe the target audience of “Phoenix” is still Hong Kong people
Gao Yu, an independent Chinese media personality who used to work for the China News Service, told the station that the personnel arrangement, if confirmed, would indicate that the Central Propaganda Department has not shied away from actually controlling the media registered in Hong Kong. She went on to say that mainlanders generally see Phoenix as a Hong Kong media, and although Hong Kong people have little interest in Phoenix, Phoenix is targeted at Hong Kong people, and it is believed that after the top-level transfer, the platform will play a greater role in unifying the war on Hong Kong people.
Gao Yu said: You have to check the previous information of “Phoenix”, especially in the history is very rich. What you dare not say in China can be said in the Phoenix, and criticism of the ruling government is also there, although it can not catch up with other independent media in Hong Kong at the time. However, there are only one or two media left in Hong Kong, and it has become one country, one system, except for “Apple” and “Epoch Times” (outspoken media), but they are all in danger, if there are no more these two media, it is exactly the same as the mainland.
In the middle of last month, “Bauhinia Hong Kong” and “Shun Tak Group” joined hands to acquire more than 37% of Phoenix TV. (Screenshot of Phoenix TV program)
The director has the same name as the director of the Department of Economic Construction of the Ministry of Finance
In January, Sing Tao Daily was the first to report that Beijing planned to set up a “cultural central enterprise” in Hong Kong to enhance its soft power and promote the “return of people’s hearts and minds” to Hong Kong people; it also said that this centrally managed enterprise would be at the vice-ministerial level and would have unified jurisdiction over the United Publishing Group The company also said that this centrally managed enterprise is at the level of deputy minister and will have unified jurisdiction over Chinese institutions such as United Publishing Group, Bauhinia magazine, Silver Capital, and China Culture City.
The latest company registration information shows that “Bauhinia Hong Kong” in February only two new directors, the United Publishing Group senior Fu Weizhong and Li Jiping left, on April 20 by Sun Guangqi, Gong Rui and Wang Kai three Chinese to take office. Sun Guangqi’s name is the same as that of the director of the Department of Economic Construction at the Ministry of Finance of China, and his date of birth is also roughly the same. The address of Gong Rui, another new director, is the same as the address and place of incorporation of the Ministry of Finance disclosed on the website of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Recently, the name and title of the director has been removed from the Department of Economic Construction’s website of the Ministry of Finance of China. According to the original information, before Sun Guangqi became the director of the Department of Economic Construction, he was the deputy director of the Department of UNESCO (now merged into the Department of Science, Education and Culture) for several years, both of which are departments under the Ministry of Finance and are responsible for the management of relevant central enterprises. According to online information, Sun is a native of Liaoning, with a doctoral degree.
Bauhinia Hong Kong” is indirectly and fully controlled by the Ministry of Finance as the major shareholder of “Phoenix Satellite Television
“Bauhinia Hong Kong” was incorporated in Hong Kong in 2019, formerly known as Bauhinia Culture (Group) Limited. The report mentions that “Bauhinia Hong Kong” is 100% controlled by Shenzhen Qianhai Bauhinia Culture Group Limited, while “Bauhinia Culture” is 100% controlled by China’s Ministry of Finance, which shows that “Bauhinia Hong Kong “by the Ministry of Finance indirect full control.
In the middle of last month, “Bauhinia Hong Kong” and “Shun Tak Group” jointly acquired more than 37% of the shares of “Phoenix Satellite Television”.
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