A senior Hong Kong civil servant with experience as a special representative to the European Union is set to become the head of RTHK in early October. Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan on Friday confirmed that Eddie Cheung Kwok-choi would take the helm at the public broadcaster, describing him as “a seasoned administrative officer with proven leadership and management skills”. “I have every confidence that he will continue to serve the community with professionalism in his new capacity,” she said in a statement. The veteran civil servant has served as a special representative to the EU for economic and trade affairs since 2019. A pro-Beijing analyst said he believed Cheung was selected for the role of director of broadcasting because he was a seasoned and trusted civil servant, noting he had experience working in various bureaus and in the EU, which could help to promote Hong Kong and explain policies to overseas audiences. RTHK does not have the right to freedom of expression: Hong Kong court Cheung joined the civil service in 1993, working in the former Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau in the 2000s and later joining the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau from 2012 to 2019. He also had prior experience with RTHK, holding the role of principal assistant secretary for commerce, industry and technology in 2016. His duties at the time included reviewing the service’s role as a public broadcaster. Last February, the public broadcaster was put on notice in a government report that called for an overhaul of its management, editorial operations and work culture, while its chief, veteran journalist Leung Ka-wing, agreed to step down six months before his contract expired. Civil servant Patrick Li Pak-chuen took over. Under Li’s leadership, several current affairs programmes and talk shows by RTHK were axed and a number of senior producers resigned. The broadcaster also featured more interviews with senior officials, patriotic television dramas produced by mainland Chinese state media and content explaining the Beijing-imposed national security law. The national security law was implemented on June 30, 2020, and criminalises acts of succession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Lawmaker Duncan Chiu, deputy chairman of the Legislative Council’s broadcasting panel, said he hoped Cheung would help RTHK to promote the city and adopt new technologies to improve its services. “There are many misconceptions about Hong Kong in the Western world, so I hope Cheung can lead RTHK in telling the China and Hong Kong stories,” he said. Chiu also called for RTHK to continue airing local sports events to support young people, especially squash, football and basketball. RTHK staff told to uphold ‘constitutional order’ in new editorial guidelines Political analyst Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of semi-official think tank the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, said it remained unclear if Cheung’s experience in the EU had played an important part in his appointment. “Rather than looking towards the West or the mainland, RTHK’s main viewers are Hong Kong residents,” he said. “After Li’s reforms, RTHK is now taking up more responsibilities in helping the government to explain policies … as well as promoting the national constitution, the Basic Law and civil education.”