In a recent change at the top of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong, Wang Songmiao, former director of the General Office of the Communist Party’s Supreme Procuratorate, has replaced Wen Hongwu as secretary-general of the Liaison Office. Earlier, it was reported that the Liaison Office was undergoing a major reshuffle, with half of its 480 staff members replaced, a scale that is rare.
Hong Kong media reported today that Wang Songmiao, a former editor-in-chief of the Communist Party’s Procuratorate Daily, has media experience, and it is also rare for him to be parachuted from the political and legal system to serve as the “chief steward” of Beijing‘s Central Liaison Office in Hong Kong.
According to reports, it was rumored earlier that Beijing would set up a so-called “cultural central enterprise” in Hong Kong, and Wen Hongwu, who left the Liaison Office, would be involved in its establishment.
The Liaison Office has been undergoing frequent changes, and recently there have been rumors of a major staff change. Earlier, Hong Kong 01 quoted informed sources as saying on Jan. 28 that the Liaison Office had recently announced large-scale personnel changes, including the departure of Li Haitang, head of the propaganda, Culture and sports department, and the promotion of Zheng Lin, deputy minister, to minister.
The report said that the staffing establishment of the Liaison Office is about 480 people, the staff “shift wave” involves half of the establishment, that is, about 240 positions, a rare scale. The shift not only involves grassroots positions, but also touches the management at the ministerial level.
Analysis suggests that Xi Jinping may be attempting to take full control of Hong Kong through this major reshuffle at the Liaison Office, which will turn Hong Kong into a city like Shenzhen, with a Chief Executive similar to the mayor of Shenzhen.
Speaking to Apple Daily, Lui Ping-kuen, a senior lecturer in the journalism department of Hong Kong Baptist University who has many years of experience in covering mainland China, said that if the change of staff in the Liaison Office is true, it may be related to the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China this year and the 20th Communist Party Congress next year.
After attending a program on Netflix, Lam Cheuk-ting, vice chairman and former member of the Democratic Party, said that no matter what personnel changes occur in the Liaison Office, the whole government and even the central government agencies in Hong Kong will only “become more and more hawkish” and their hard-line suppressive policies towards Hong Kong will only become more and more powerful.
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