HONG KONG: Hong Kong鈥檚 leader said on Tuesday that China鈥檚 recent removal of its top representative in the city, known for his hard-line policies on national security, had been a 鈥渘ormal鈥� personnel change.
In a surprise development, China announced late on Friday that Zheng Yanxiong, the director of China鈥檚 Liaison Office in Hong Kong 鈥� Beijing鈥檚 main representative office in the city with powerful oversight over local affairs 鈥� had been 鈥渞emoved鈥� from his post.
He was replaced by Zhou Ji, a senior official with the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office on the State Council.
Zheng, who played a key role in the crackdown on Hong Kong鈥檚 democratic movement in recent years, was also stripped of his role as China鈥檚 national security adviser on a committee overseeing national security in Hong Kong.
No explanation by Beijing or Chinese state media was given for the change.
According to a person with knowledge of the matter, Hong Kong-based conglomerate CK Hutchison鈥檚 proposed sale of its global port network to a consortium initially led by US firm Blackrock had caught senior Chinese leaders 鈥渂y surprise鈥� as they had not been informed beforehand and Zheng was partly blamed for that.
The person, who has spoken with the liaison office, declined to be identified as the discussions were confidential.
The Liaison Office gave no immediate response to faxed questions from Reuters.
Zheng had served in the post since January 2023 and while the position has no fixed term, his tenure was shorter than predecessors including Luo Huining and Zhang Xiaoming.
鈥淭he change of the Liaison office director is I believe, as with all changes of officials, very normal,鈥� Lee told reporters during a weekly briefing, without being drawn on reasons for the reshuffle.
鈥淒irector Zheng has spent around 5 years (in Hong Kong). Hong Kong was going through a transition period of chaos to order,鈥� Lee said, referring to the months-long pro-democracy protests that erupted across Hong Kong in 2019 while adding that he looked forward to working with Zhou.
CK Hutchison鈥檚 ports deal has been criticized in Chinese state media as 鈥渂etraying鈥� China鈥檚 interests and bowing to US political pressure.
The conglomerate, controlled by tycoon Li Ka-shing, agreed in March to sell the majority of its $22.8 billion global ports business, including assets along the strategically significant Panama Canal, to the consortium. The consortium is now being led by another member 鈥� Terminal Investment Limited, which is majority-owned by Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte鈥檚 family-run MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company.
The deal is still being negotiated.
Asked whether Zheng鈥檚 removal reflected a pivot by Beijing toward economic development from national security, Lee said Hong Kong still needed to pursue both.
鈥淗ong Kong faces a stage where development and safety must be addressed at the same time because any development must have a safe environment.鈥�
China promulgated a powerful national security law in 2020, arresting scores of opposition democrats and activists, shuttering liberal media outlets and civil society groups and punishing free speech with sedition 鈥� moves that have drawn international criticism.