Of the three secretaries in this term, only the Financial Secretary, Paul Chan (left), will remain in office. Current critics believe that the central government deliberately arranged to check and balance Li Jiachao (right), just as Tsang Junhua checked and balanced Liang Zhenying. (Image source: Look at Chinese composite photos)
[See China June 22, 2022 News](See a comprehensive report by Chinese reporter Li Huaiju)HongkongChief Executive-designateLi Jiachaoand its governance team were formally appointed by Beijing on the 19th. The new government structure consists of three departments and fifteen bureaus, including three chief directors, three deputy directors, and fifteen directors, of which six are current government officials, but the “love generals” of Chief Executive Carrie Lam will not be able to transition to the next term. government.Among the three secretaries in this term, only the Financial SecretaryChen Maobostay.time criticYan BaogangIt is believed that this reflects that the central government has deliberately given the power to deploy personnel to the Hong Kong governmentCheck and balanceThe role of Chen Maobo can check and balance Li Jiachao to a certain extent, just as Tseng Junhua checked and balanced Liang Zhenying.
Six people in the next government will be the main officials of the current government, including the remaining Financial Secretary Chen Maobo, the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Tsang Kwok-wai, the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Xu Zhengyu, the Secretary for Security Tang Bingqiang, and the promotion to Deputy Financial Secretary Huang Wai Lun, the current Development Secretary, and Yang Runxiong, the current Education Secretary, who was transferred to the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism. The current government has also promoted two deputy directors, including the deputy director of the education bureau, Cai Ruolian, who has been promoted to director, and the deputy director of the environment bureau, Xie Zhanwan, who has been appointed as the new director of environment and ecology.
Carrie Lam will be “cleared”
As for Carrie Lam’s “favorite generals”: Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Yau Teng-wah, Secretary for Civil Service Nip Tak-kuen, Secretary for Justice Cheng Yuk-wah, Secretary for Labour and Welfare Law Chi-kwong, Secretary for Environment Wong Kam-sing, Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan, Transport and The Secretary for Housing, Chen Fan, and the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Xue Yongheng, have not yet transitioned to the new government.
Li Jiachao responded to the “clearing” of personnel, saying that there will inevitably be personnel changes when the government changes. He thanked the outgoing officials, calling them “always good teachers and good friends” and hoped they would continue to serve Hong Kong in different positions.
Chen Maobo’s stay in office reflects the deployment of checks and balances of power
When asked if there is a “commander” in the center when selecting new team members? Li Jiachao emphasized that “the officials I choose are my own choices.” Time critic Yan Baogang believes that this sentence has a meaning of no silver here, and pointed out that although Beijing will consider Li Jiachao’s employment intentions, the final selection depends on whether he can implement Beijing’s orders.
Of the three secretaries in this term, only the Financial Secretary, Paul Chan Mo-po, will remain in office. Yan Baogang believes that this reflects the role of the central government’s personnel deployment in Hong Kong as a check and balance of power. The deputy director under Chen Maobo was promoted from the current director of the Development Bureau, Wong Wai Lun. The replacement for Huang Weilun is Ning Hanhao, the current secretary of the Development Bureau. In addition, the Secretary for Housing is taken over by the Director of Architectural Services, Mr Ho Wing-yin. At the same time, Xu Zhengyu remained as director of the Treasury Bureau.
Yan pointed out that judging from the appointment of the new financial officials, Chen Maobo has a certain right to speak, which reflects that Beijing trusts Chen Maobo’s team, and even to a certain extent, it has formed an internal force that can check and balance Li Jiachao. Just as Tsang Chun-wah counterbalanced Leung Chun-ying back then.
Li Keqiang wants Hong Kong to develop economy
Yan Baogang said that the deployment of checks and balances of power has long been preceded. On May 30 this year, when Premier Li Keqiang issued a State Council decree to Li Jiachao in Ziguangge, Zhongnanhai, he expressed his support for the SAR government to develop the economy and improve people’s livelihood. To maintain Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability.
Li Keqiang also hopes that the next Hong Kong government will continue to improve governance efficiency and consolidate and enhance Hong Kong’s status as the three major centers of international finance, trade and shipping.
Gan Baogang pointed out that it can be seen that the central government is still very concerned about how the new government, especially financial officials, can improve the functions of finance, trade and shipping. Therefore, improving Hong Kong’s international competitiveness ranking has become the government’s top priority.
Yan continued to point out that Hong Kong’s competitiveness ranking is an important indicator of whether Hong Kong can maintain its status as an international financial center. The Hong Kong government pays special attention to two competitiveness rankings: one is the economic freedom index ranking established by the “Heritage Foundation”, and the other is the global competitiveness report published by the “School of Management in Lausanne, Switzerland”.
Hong Kong was “delisted” by the Heritage Foundation two years ago. last year. The Lausanne Report once dropped Hong Kong from fifth to seventh. Last week, “Lausanne” released the 2022 ranking report, and Hong Kong returned to the fifth place in the global competitiveness ranking. However, “Lausanne” also pointed out that Hong Kong’s score in education has dropped; and it is also facing many challenges in controlling the epidemic, boosting the economy, seizing opportunities for economic development in the mainland, promoting innovation and technology, and solving land problems.
Among them, in the ranking of government efficiency, Hong Kong has dropped from the first place in the world to the second place, and the business efficiency has also dropped from the third place to the seventh place. Yan Baogang said that this reflects the policy advantages that Hong Kong has relied on for its success in the past, and it is gradually changing. churn. In addition, the immigration wave has led to the departure of many talents from Hong Kong, which further affects the competitiveness of Hong Kong.
Is the “motherland” reliable?
Many immigrant Hong Kongers no longer place their hopes on Hong Kong, bluntly saying that Hong Kong’s decline is predictable. But the establishment that loves the country and the party often emphasizes that Hong Kong will still have advantages in the future as long as it has the policy support of the central government and is backed by the motherland.
Yan Baogang retorted that in recent years, the central government’s so-called Hong Kong-friendly policies, such as China Connect, Wealth Connect, and Bond Connect, are more inclined to the mainland to absorb funds to fill the gap in the mainland. As for the integration into the construction of the Greater Bay Area, under the current epidemic situation, we do not know when it will be restarted. The hugely constructed Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the high-speed rail have been abandoned for a long time, becoming a big white elephant project that wastes taxpayers’ money.
Moreover, the Communist Party has always been in command of politics. Yan Baogang said bluntly that under Xi Jinping’s “dynamic clearing” policy, Shanghai, China’s only financial center, can be sacrificed, not to mention Hong Kong.
Editor in charge: Li Songer Source: Look at China
Short URL for this article:
All rights reserved, any form of reproduction requires the authorization of China. It is strictly forbidden to create mirror websites.
[Honorary Member Wanted]Streams can merge into the sea, and small kindness can achieve great love. We sincerely solicit 10,000 honorary members from Chinese people all over the world: each honorary member only needs to pay a subscription fee every year to become an honorary member of the “Watch China” website. Provide independent and true key information, warn them in times of crisis, and save them from the great plague and other social crises.
