New man at office helm reflects Beijing’s change of role for Hong Kong: analysts
Zhou Ji has distinguished himself from his predecessors with community visits and an unusual reciprocal meeting with the city’s leader
Observers said that Zhou’s approach and the latest liaison office line-up – a new director with local government and corporate experience helped by deputies with diplomatic networks – reflected Beijing’s shifting emphasis on the city’s economic development and its gateway role for mainland Chinese firms to expand overseas.
He is also an adviser to Hong Kong’s national security committee and the executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), second in line to director Xia Baolong.
Zhou’s liaison office appointment comes amid heightened trade tensions between China and the US, with the two countries accusing each other of violating a tariff truce reached in Geneva last month.