Beijing’s former top official in Hong Kong turns focus to Xi Jinping Thought

Luo Huining is one of the officials driving a campaign within the party to study and implement Xi’s political ideology

At least 58 central leading groups have been sent to provinces, government departments and universities across China

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Luo Huining (centre), then director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, leaves a meeting with Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in January. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Published: 10:30pm, 12 Apr 2023Updated: 11:15pm, 12 Apr 2023

The former head of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, Luo Huining, has a new mission – he is one of the senior officials driving an education campaign within the ruling Communist Party on President Xi Jinping’s political ideology.

Luo, 68 – who stepped down from the Hong Kong role in January – attended a meeting in Chongqing on Monday in his new capacity as head of one of the central leading groups that will guide the campaign, state media reported.

He is also overseeing the campaign in Jiangxi province, according to media reports on Wednesday.

The party’s central leadership has been pushing cadres to study and implement the political ideology – known as Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era – since late March. It was enshrined in the constitution in 2018.

At least 58 central leading groups have been sent to provinces, government departments and universities across China to drive the campaign, according to public records.

Fifteen officials are overseeing the drive, each of them responsible for two provinces. In the northeast, one official is taking charge of three provinces – Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang.