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Jane Cai

Zhang Xiaoming, Beijing’s former top official on Hong Kong and Macau affairs, has been removed as deputy secretary general of China’s top political advisory body.
The decision was endorsed on Saturday at the close of a two-day meeting of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The CCTV report was brief and did not give the reason for the removal but did refer to him as “comrade”, a title reserved for Communist Party members.
He remains a member of the CPPCC and the party, a source told the South China Morning Post.




Zhang, 60, was a minister-level official and is below the usual retirement age of 65.
He began working at the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) in 1989 after graduating from Renmin University of China’s law school, serving as the agency’s deputy director from 2004 to 2012.
He was then promoted to director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, and became director of the HKMAO in 2017.
But Zhang’s term was rocked by anti-government protests in Hong Kong in 2019, which were triggered by a now-withdrawn extradition bill.
In February 2020, the central government appointed Xia Baolong, the CPPCC’s vice-chairman and secretary general, to take over as director, while Zhang was made executive deputy director.
In 2022, Zhang was appointed to the deputy role in the nation’s top advisory body.
He was replaced at the HKMAO last year by Zhou Ji, the former deputy secretary and security chief of Henan province.
“[I] respect and trust the central government’s personnel arrangements,” Starry Lee Wai-king, the city’s sole representative on the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, told the Post.
Additional reporting by Fiona Sun


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China’s Communist Party

China removes Hong Kong affairs veteran Zhang Xiaoming from senior role at top advisory body

Zhang Xiaoming’s time as head of the HKMAO was rocked by anti-government protests in the city. Photo: Reuters

Beijing’s top man on Hong Kong, Macau affairs ‘on induction trip’ with new deputy, signalling ‘final stage’ of upgrade of office to higher level outfit

Xia Baolong (left), director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, and Chief Executive John Lee leave government headquarters in April. Photo: Jelly Tse

Zhou Ji, 59, was appointed executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. Photo: Handout

Xia Baolong, head of Beijing’s office overseeing Hong Kong affairs, to visit Macau on 4-day work trip

Casino hub Macau has issued a government statement welcoming Xia Baolong. Photo: Xinhua

Xia was in April the first senior state official to address Hong Kong’s lawmakers in the Legco chamber. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

‘Primary political task’ for Hong Kong to roll out activities boosting awareness of spirit of Communist Party’s 20th congress: Beijing’s point man on city affairs

A giant screen in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay shows Chinse President Xi Jinping at a press conference after the close of the party congress. Photo: Sam Tsang

HKMAO chief Xia Baolong. Photo: Imaginechina

State and city flags line a bridge in Wan Chai. Photo: Jelly Tse

News

China

Politics

Zhang remains a Communist Party and CPPCC member but is no longer the body’s deputy secretary general
No reason given for removal of 60-year-old official


Zhang remains a Communist Party and CPPCC member but is no longer the body’s deputy secretary general.


Communist Party politics

China removes Hong Kong affairs veteran Zhang Xiaoming from senior role at top advisory body

Zhang remains a Communist Party and CPPCC member but is no longer the body’s deputy secretary general No reason given for removal of 60-year-old official

Zhang remains a Communist Party and CPPCC member but is no longer the body’s deputy secretary general

No reason given for removal of 60-year-old official