Song Zhe, Huang Liuquan promoted to deputy director of Hong Kong, Macau office
Zhou Bo removed from post just a week after welcoming chief executive on annual visit
The nation’s top foreign affairs official in Hong Kong has been promoted to a Beijing post in the latest management reshuffle at the State Council unit specialising in local affairs.
Song Zhe, the foreign affairs ministry’s commissioner in the SAR since 2012, was named a deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
China watchers said the appointment showed that diplomatic experience managing Hong Kong’s place as a global city in the context of the country’s international relations and “one country, two systems” was important.
Huang Liuquan was also named deputy director – a promotion from his post as director general of the law department.
The office continues to be led by Wang Guangya, who, like Song, is a career diplomat. Wang was deputy foreign affairs minister before becoming head of the office in 2010. In March, Wang said he was “prepared to step down at any time” as he was past the retirement age of 65 for officials at his rank.