China Performs Reshuffle Of Hong Kong Officials Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

JAKARTA - Xia Baolong, an ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping, has been appointed Director of the State Council Affairs Office of Hong Kong and Macau, replacing Zhang Xiaoming. His appointment was made amid the purge of officials in Hubei Province, the province where Wuhan is located and at the center of the outbreak of the corona virus or COVID-19.

Xi Jinping and Xia Baolong were leaders and deputy leaders of the Communist Party in Zhejiang from 2003-2007. Xia was hugely popular for his ideology during the 2014 campaign to destroy thousands of crosses and underground churches in Zhejiang, which led him to become the leader of the Communist Party in Zhejiang. He was also the Secretary General of the National Committee of China's Political Advisory Agency. Xia Baolong is said to have no experience with Hong Kong-related matters.

Xia Baolong has been appointed as head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. Xia also serves as the vice chairman and secretary-general of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee. pic.twitter.com/XD854nSL2a

- People's Daily, China (@PDChina) February 13, 2020

Quoted in The Guardian, Thursday, February 13, Zhang Xiaoming is the most senior official removed from office by the Chinese government after months of facing anti-Chinese government protests in Hong Kong. Hong Kong has been in protest for more than seven months over an extradition bill that would allow crime suspects to be sent to mainland China to stand trial.

Zhang supports the controversial extradition bill. He also told a visiting Hong Kong delegation how urgent it was to pass the bill. But, the bill was scrapped after mass protests developed into calls for greater democracy, presenting Xi Jinping's worst popular challenge since he took office.

The Chinese government also said it had appointed Luo Huining as Head of the China Liaison Office for Hong Kong and Fu Ziying as Head of the Macau Liaison Office. Both are central officials of the Chinese Government.

Analysts say Xia Baolong's appointment is a signal that China wants to tighten its control over Hong Kong. China has indicated its desire to control Hong Kong tighter after a landmark Communist Party meeting in November 2019.

A statement from the party meeting said national interests should be prioritized over dual system policies since the handover of British colonial rule and warned that the Chinese side would not tolerate any act of dividing the country.

The demolition of posts by the Chinese Government for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs offices comes at a time when much of the world is focused on replacing top officials in the COVID-19 stricken Hubei Province.

Previously, the Chinese Government announced that the Communist Party Leader in Hubei Province Jiang Chaoliang was officially dismissed and replaced by the Mayor of Shanghai Yong Ying.

All the officials who took up the new position were known to be very close to Xi Jinping. The decisions they make will "submit" to Xi Jinping. Some Chinese citizens argue that not reshuffling these officials has not brought about any change at all.