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

China’s Communist Party

Vanessa Caiin Shanghai

Published: 10:30pm, 12 Apr 2023

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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.

Most are former ministerial-level officials, many of whom have retained positions in the legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), or the country’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Hu Zejun, who was the auditor-general with the National Audit Office from 2017 to 2020, will guide the campaign in Shandong and Henan provinces. She became a standing committee member of the CPPCC in March.

Fu Ziying, former chief of Beijing’s liaison office in Macau, is overseeing the drive within the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Fu was named deputy chairman of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee in June last year.

Luo took over as head of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong in early 2020 when he was 65 – the usual statutory retirement age for officials. He was replaced in January by Zheng Yanxiong – Beijing’s former national security chief in the city.

In a speech delivered at a meeting earlier this month, Xi called for “solid efforts” among officials and cadres to carry out the party’s education campaign on Xi Jinping Thought, according to state news agency Xinhua.

“The campaign should be an opportunity to further arm all party members with new theories, enhance their understanding of Marxism, and continuously improve the party’s governance and leadership capabilities,” Xi was quoted as saying.

Cai Qi, Xi’s ideology chief and chief of staff, was referred to during the meeting as the head of the central leading group that will supervise the nationwide campaign.

Cai urged all party members to “attentively study and fully implement” Xi’s speech and to “tirelessly understand from heart and soul” his policies and ideas, according to Xinhua.

Alfred Wu, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, said Xi was using his loyal supporters to carry out the propaganda work as he sought to unify ideas to consolidate power during his third term.

Wu noted that many of those leading the campaign are former senior officials who are close to retiring.