Editorial | Opportunities there to be seized with HK links of new leaders
- Beijing reshuffle opens up the possibility of new thinking while preserving continuity under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle
The biggest leadership change in many years at the Communist Party has aroused different interpretations of the country’s development strategies. It has also left many wondering what is in stock for the city’s future.
Even though the new line-up is relatively unfamiliar to the local community, the previous portfolios and experience of the members make them no strangers to Hong Kong affairs. Together with the affirmation of the governing principle of “one country, two systems” as a long-term policy in the party’s constitution, there are plenty of opportunities.
Except for Xi Jinping, who renewed his positions as party chief and president of the country, those in the Politburo Standing Committee are not among the most familiar faces to locals. But they do have links to the special administrative region somehow. Take Shanghai party secretary Li Qiang.
He did a master of business administration programme at Polytechnic University from 2003 to 2005. Tipped to be the next premier, the No 2 ranking leader earned a reputation for being business friendly and vowed to pair the advantages of the mainland manufacturing industry with the city’s service sector during a visit in his capacity as Jiangsu province party chief in 2017.
02:03
China’s 20th party congress concludes with bigger than expected leadership reshuffle
Similarly, Ding Xuexiang, director of Xi’s personal office, has since 2015 taken part in numerous meetings related to the annual visits and reports by Hong Kong’s leader. He accompanied the president to the city for the inauguration ceremony of the new government in July and in 2017.