Beijing is taking the initiative in the new year to accelerate its unification projects in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s pro-communist media, Sing Tao Daily, quoted news that Beijing will set up a “cultural central enterprise” in Hong Kong to unite Chinese organizations such as United Publishing Group, Bauhinia magazine and Yindu, covering publishing, journalism, film and television, literature and arts, in order to “promote the return of people’s hearts and minds”. “. The report also said that the “cultural central enterprise” belongs to the deputy ministerial level administrative organs, it is not clear its official name, but the full name of the central enterprise is “centrally managed enterprises”. The “cultural central enterprise” is expected to officially open in the first half of 2021.
The Sing Tao Daily quoted a number of pro-Beijing and cultural figures as saying that the unification project of the “cultural central enterprise” originated in the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which proposed “strengthening the national consciousness and patriotic spirit of our compatriots in Hong Kong and Macau”, essentially “hope to promote the return of hearts and minds”. The relevant preparatory plan was already underway in 2019, but was “suspended for a while” due to the anti-sending campaign, until Hong Kong “gradually stabilized” after the implementation of the National Security Law and the “cultural centralization project The “cultural central enterprise” is back on the agenda.
The “cultural central enterprises” will be led by the Liaison Office
The report also pointed out that the “cultural central enterprise” will be organized by the Secretary-General of the Liaison Office Wen Hongwu, said he is a publisher himself, familiar with cultural operations, as early as 2008 has come to Hong Kong as the chairman and president of the United Publishing (Group) Limited, in 2018 as the Secretary-General of the Liaison Office, the same as the Liaison Office “big housekeeper”.
In the “cultural central enterprises”, Beijing will have unified jurisdiction over the United Publishing Group, “Bauhinia” magazine, Yindu institutions, China Culture City and other Chinese institutions, with assets of hundreds of millions of dollars. Among the many organizations, United Publishing (Group) will be the leader of the organization, including the Sanlian Bookstore, China Bookstore and Commercial Press (three Chinese business), Wanli Agency, Xinya Culture Business Company and other publishing institutions, “published books accounted for about one-fifth of the annual volume of Chinese books published in Hong Kong. United Publishing (Group) is involved in a wide range of businesses, including Orange News, an online media that has often attacked the pro-democracy camp in recent years, and Overseas Chinese Enterprises Limited, which invests in real estate, builds its own buildings and manages properties.
Related Chinese organizations have inextricable ties with the Liaison Office
However, a review of the information reveals that the Chinese organizations included in the “cultural central enterprises” have close ties with the Liaison Office. Among them, United Publishing (Group) was revealed by the media in 2018 to be owned and managed by the Liaison Office. Reports back then also pointed out that Chen Yichie, president of the state-owned Hong Kong-based Yindu Organization Limited, also holds a 1 percent stake in the new cultural business, the parent company of United Publishing. As for Bauhinia magazine, we reported in August last year that the publisher of Bauhinia magazine was indirectly owned by a company under the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR.
In fact, Beijing has been plotting to speed up its united front work in Hong Kong since the anti-sending campaign. The Sing Tao Daily also mentioned that the Hong Kong Federation of Hong Kong Members of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (HKFLAC) was established in November last year with the support of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and other departments, with the aim of “promoting cultural and artistic exchanges between Hong Kong and the Mainland and facilitating the reunification of people’s hearts and minds”. The first president of the Hong Kong Federation will be the Legislative Council Member for Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication Ma Fung-kwok, and the executive vice president will be Fok Kai-kong, who is widely rumored to succeed Ma Fung-kwok as a Legislative Council Member. It is reported that there are nearly 300 Hong Kong arts and cultural workers, joined the Chinese Federation of Arts and Culture affiliated associations, including the Chinese Writers Association, the Chinese Artists Association, the Chinese Calligraphers Association and so on.
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