[New Tang Dynasty News, Beijing time, January 17, 2023]A few days ago, Zheng Yanxiong, the former director of the National Security Office of the CCP in Hong Kong, replaced Luo Huining as the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government. This time, the director of the Liaison Office of the Central Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was replaced and released multiple abnormal signals. When Zheng Yanxiong was the secretary of Shanwei, he was ridiculed by the outside world as the “sow secretary” because of his extraordinary remarks.
On January 14, the website of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the Communist Party of China appointed Zheng Yanxiong as the director of the Liaison Office of the Communist Party of China in Hong Kong and the National Security Affairs Advisor of the National Security Council. Luo Huining, Director of the Liaison Office of the Communist Party of China in Hong Kong, National Security Affairs Advisor of the National Security Council, and Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council were removed; Zheng Yanxiong was removed from the post of Director of the National Security Office in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s “Ming Pao” article on January 17 stated that although Zheng Yanxiong claimed that his replacement of Luo Huining was a “normal replacement of the old and the new”, there are still many unusual things about this replacement:
First, the announcement was very sudden;
Second, he is neither a member of the Central Committee, nor an alternate member of the Central Committee, nor the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. He is the fourth official head of the “Three Nonsense” Department promoted after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China;
Third, the way the Central Organization Department treated him was different from the past;
Fourth, his appointment confirms the “dual enforcement mechanism” of the “Hong Kong National Security Law”;
Fifth, the new directors of the Liaison Offices in Hong Kong and Macau are no longer concurrently serving as deputy directors of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Offices, which reflects that the structure and personnel of the Hong Kong and Macau systems are facing major adjustments.
The report said that Zheng Yanxiong’s appointment this time is different from similar personnel changes in the Mainland in the past. There were no rumors or signs beforehand. Less than a few hours after the news came out that day, the official announcement immediately reflected that firstly, they had done enough secrecy beforehand; secondly, they did not want to allow any time for the rumors to ferment.
Zheng Yanxiong, 60 years old, has worked in Guangdong for a long time. Since 2005, he has served as the deputy secretary of the Shanwei Municipal Party Committee. From 2009 to 2011, he served as the deputy secretary of the Shanwei Municipal Party Committee and the mayor of the city government. In August 2011, he served as the secretary of the Shanwei Municipal Party Committee. In 2013, Zheng Yanxiong served as the deputy director of the Propaganda Department of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee. Since 2018, he has served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Provincial Party Committee, Secretary-General of the Provincial Party Committee, and Director of the Political Research Office of the Provincial Party Committee.
From June 30, 2020, the CCP implemented the “Hong Kong Version of the National Security Law” in Hong Kong, and established the National Security Office in Hong Kong in July of the same year, with Zheng Yanxiong as the director.
Zheng Yanxiong actively implements the CCP’s policy of repression in Hong Kong. The Wall Street Journal reported that University of Hawaii law professor Carole J. Petersen said Zheng’s appointment indicated that China would still prioritize ensuring Hong Kong’s national security over addressing Hong Kong’s slowing economy. .
People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that Zheng’s promotion surprised some Liaison Office staff, who had expected Chen Dong, a deputy director with an economics background, to be the new director. Previous leaders of the Liaison Office were people with backgrounds in the provincial government, foreign affairs or Hong Kong policy.
Zheng is the first person with a national security background. His promotion means that the three top jobs in Hong Kong, including the city’s special chief executive, are now filled by law enforcement officers.
In August 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on 11 Hong Kong and Mainland officials and former officials, including Zheng Yanxiong. These people are accused of undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy and restricting the freedom of speech and assembly of Hong Kong citizens.
Zheng Yanxiong is well-known for his speeches during his tenure as secretary of the Shanwei Municipal Party Committee.
Zheng Yanxiong used violent means to suppress the democratic protest in Wukan Village, Lufeng, Shanwei City, which was widely exposed by overseas media. In 2011, members of the Wukan Village Committee sold off the villagers’ land privately, which was strongly opposed by the villagers. The local government sent a large number of armed police to violently suppress the villagers, but they were met with fierce resistance, and some villagers were injured and died.
This incident resulted in nine Wukan villagers who participated in rights defense being sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment ranging from 2 to 10 years.
Zheng Yanxiong attended a meeting in Lufeng City, Guangdong Province in December 2012, criticizing villagers for disclosing the incident to foreign media, and also said that “foreign media are trustworthy, and sows will climb trees.” For these remarks, Zheng Yanxiong was dubbed “Secretary of the Sow” by the outside world.
(Comprehensive report by reporter Li Enzhen/Editor in charge: Wen Hui)
URL of this article: https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2023/01/17/a103626826.html