Editorial | Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office reshuffle puts stress on need for stability
- ‘One country, two systems’ remains best way forward as Xia Baolong, a trusted ally of President Xi Jinping, takes over at the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office
Concerns have been raised following a major shake-up at the State Council’s office overseeing the special administrative regions.
For the first time, a state leader, Xia Baolong, has been put in charge of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), while Beijing’s envoys at liaison offices in the two cities will double as his deputy directors. It is to be hoped that the restructuring can improve the implementation of “one country, two systems”.
The unexpected reshuffle amid the city’s twin woes of coronavirus and social unrest has inevitably raised eyebrows.
Widely seen as a trusted ally of President Xi Jinping, Xia, vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, has a reputation for being hard-handed.
But his appointment as head of the office also means it has been raised to another level, a move seen as strengthening Beijing’s supervision over the implementation of its policies in both Hong Kong and Macau.
