China’s new non-party liaison chief aims to boost support from Hong Kong business groups
Former Fujian party chief You Quan will take charge of body responsible for liaising with non-party groups in mainland and overseas
The Chinese Communist Party has appointed the former party chief of the coastal province of Fujian to take charge of its relations with non-party groups at home and abroad, including Hong Kong and Taiwan.
State media reported on Tuesday that You Quan had been appointed the head of the party’s United Front Work Department on Tuesday, after handing over his position in the southeastern province to the former governor.
You’s new responsibilities will include rallying support from business elites in Hong Kong and one analyst suggested he would also be given the task of strengthening pro-Beijing elements in the city.
The United Front Work Department has a broad portfolio that ranges from courting elites outside the party to ensure their political loyalty, cultivating ties with overseas Chinese to exert influence, managing relations with the country’s ethnic minorities and religious groups, as well as dealing with Tibet and Xinjiang issues.
After decades of relative low-profile work abroad, the department has recently been thrust into global attention when its influence over overseas Chinese – including students and the wider Chinese diaspora – aroused controversy in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.
You, who spent most of his career working as secretary in China’s cabinet, the State Council has little direct experience dealing with ethnic and religious issues.
