Hong Kong leader John Lee says sudden removal of China’s top official in city a ‘normal’ move

HONG KONG - Hong Kong’s leader John Lee said on June 3 that China’s recent removal of its top representative in the city, known for his hardline policies on national security, had been a “normal” personnel change.

In a surprise development, China announced late on May 30 that Mr Zheng Yanxiong, director of China’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong – Beijing’s main representative office in the city with powerful oversight over local affairs – had been “removed” from his post.

He was replaced by Mr Zhou Ji, a senior official with the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council.

Mr Zheng, who played a key role in the crackdown on Hong Kong’s democratic movement in recent years, was also stripped of his role as China’s 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’s

proposed sale of its global port network

to a consortium initially led by US firm BlackRock had caught senior Chinese leaders “by surprise” as they had not been informed beforehand, and Mr 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.

Mr Zheng had served in the post since January 2023, and while the position has no fixed term, his tenure was shorter than those of his predecessors, including Mr Luo Huining and Mr Zhang Xiaoming.

“The change of the Liaison Office director is, I believe, as with all changes of officials, very normal,” Mr Lee told reporters during a weekly briefing, without being drawn on reasons for the reshuffle.

“Director Zheng has spent around five years (in Hong Kong). Hong Kong was going through a transition period of chaos to order,” Mr 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 Mr Zhou.

CK Hutchison’s ports deal has been

criticised in the Chinese state media

as “betraying” China’s interests and bowing to US political pressure.

The conglomerate, controlled by tycoon Li Ka-shing, agreed in March to sell the majority of its US$22.8 billion (S$29.3 billion) global ports business, including assets along the strategically significant Panama Canal, to the consortium.

The consortium is now being led by another member – Terminal Investment Limited, which is majority-owned by Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte’s family-run MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. 

The deal is still being negotiated.

Asked whether Mr Zheng’s removal reflected a pivot by Beijing towards economic development from national security, Mr Lee said Hong Kong still needed to pursue both.

“Hong Kong faces a stage where development and safety must be addressed at the same time because any development must have a safe environment.”

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 prosecutions – moves that have drawn international criticism. REUTERS