Zheng Yanxiong has been removed as director of Beijingโs liaison office in Hong Kong and the Chinese government has appointed Zhou Ji, the executive deputy director of the top Beijing office for the cityโs affairs, to replace him.
The State Council, Chinaโs cabinet, announced late on Friday that Zhou, the executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), had been appointed to lead the central governmentโs liaison office in the city.
In a brief statement, it also said it had removed Zheng, 61, from all three of his posts, namely as the director of the liaison office, as deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and as adviser to the cityโs national security committee.
It was not immediately clear what prompted the replacement or where Zheng would be posted next.
Zhou, who was appointed as executive deputy director of the HKMAO in 2023, will also take over Zhengโs role on the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of Hong Kong.
Zheng was appointed as head of the liaison office in January of that year to succeed Luo Huining, who was 68 at the time.
Zheng was appointed as deputy director of the HKMAO earlier that same year.