Former senior official of Beijing’s top office overseeing Hong Kong affairs installed as chief of mainland China think tank
- Deng Zhonghua, 60, endorsed as new president of Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, a notice on its website reveals
- Deng, an expert in international law, was previously deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office
A former senior official at Beijing’s top office overseeing Hong Kong affairs has been installed as the head of the semi-official mainland Chinese think tank on policies concerning the city and Macau.
The Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies said in a notice on its website on Saturday it had endorsed Deng Zhonghua as the new president during a recent council meeting.
Deng’s predecessor Xu Ze, 67, had stepped down as president and would stay to serve as an adviser of the association, the notice added.
Deng, 60, left his post as deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) last month and was succeeded by Wang Linggui, an expert in national security and international relations. Wang was a vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, seen as one of Beijing’s top think tanks.
Xu, who was also a deputy director of the HKMAO, retired in 2015 and joined the association as president in 2017.
Professor Lau Siu-kai, a Hong Kong-based political scientist, said the change in leadership would have no impact on the work and development direction of the association.
“It is still to promote studies of Hong Kong and Macau affairs, especially on aspects regarding the ‘one country, two systems’ policy,” said Lau, who is also vice-president of the association.