On the eve of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, personnel changes in the Hong Kong and Macao systems have been successively made. Zhang Xiaoming, executive deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, will be transferred to the deputy secretary-general of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Zhang Xiaoming, who has worked in the Hong Kong and Macau system for 36 years and was the former director of the Hong Kong Liaison Office, was transferred back to Beijing in 2017 to take over from Wang Guangya as the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Office.
However, in less than two years, the anti-amendment movement broke out. At the beginning of 2020, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office was upgraded. Xia Baolong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, concurrently served as the director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
Zhang Xiaoming’s remarks in the past were incensed, and his interactions with the pro-democracy faction during the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Office attracted more attention; after the “Occupy Central”, he once made a remark that “the chief executive is detached from the three powers”, referring to the fact that Hong Kong has never implemented “separation of the three powers”. sparked discussion in society.
When the anti-amendment movement broke out and the United States announced sanctions, he publicly rebuked in Cantonese, "Is there anything wrong? It's none of your business!"
Stake 'alive' statement sparks controversy
Zhang Xiaoming, 58, joined the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office after graduating from a master's degree in law in 1986. During this period, he went through Sino-British negotiations, the drafting of the Basic Law, the establishment of the Provisional Legislative Council, preparations for the establishment of the Special Administrative Region, and the Occupy Central and the amendment of the bill. Historical events.
Zhang Xiaoming came to Hong Kong in 2012 to serve as the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government. As soon as he took office, he said that "Western Ring will not rule Hong Kong, but Western Ring must do its due diligence" and do what it should do.
In 2013, Zhang Xiaoming went to the Legislative Council luncheon and was the first director of the Liaison Office to step into the Legislative Council building. During the banquet, pan-democratic lawmakers presented props and demanded the implementation of "true universal suffrage".
The Liaison Office of the Central People's Republic of China later tried to invite the MPs back, but it has never been done.
During the political reform controversy in 2014, Zhang Xiaoming met behind closed doors with the pro-democracy faction, and was asked by street worker Liang Yaozhong whether Li Zhuoren, the chairman of the stake at the time, could become a candidate for chief executive under the principle of "ending the one-party dictatorship and building a democratic China", according to reports. Zhang Xiaoming responded at the time that it was the central tolerance that the stake was still "alive": "It is a reflection of our leniency to be able to sit here safely."
Zhang Xiaoming later clarified that his original words were that under the "one country, two systems" policy, the stake, which claimed to "overthrow the one-party dictatorship", was still able to hold various activities, and members of the stake could also be elected to the Legislative Council. It reflects a great political tolerance.
In 2017, Carrie Lam and Zhang Xiaoming took a group photo.
(Photo by Liaison Office)
2014 National Day encounters Occupy Central Zhang Xiaoming: the sun rises as usual
In the same year, the 79-day Occupy Central incident broke out in Hong Kong. When Zhang Xiaoming attended the National Day reception on the 11th National Day, he was blocked by demonstrations. When asked how he felt, he pointed to the sky with a smile on his face and said, "The sun is rising as usual." Hot discussion.
When Zhang Xiaoming attended a seminar on the Basic Law in 2015, he pointed out that the Chief Executive "has a dual-head status and a dual-responsibility system, so that the Chief Executive has a special legal status that transcends the executive, legislative and judicial organs." He pointed out that no political system of "separation of powers" was implemented in Hong Kong before or after the handover, which sparked a round of fierce debate in the society.
The Bar Association issued a statement to refute, but then Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying agreed, saying that the status of the Chief Executive is "really detached".
The year following the outbreak of the amendment bill, the State Council announced in February that Xia Baolong, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, would take over as director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, and Zhang Xiaoming was transferred to be the deputy director in charge of daily affairs.
The outside world has always believed that the personnel changes of Zhang Xiaoming and Wang Zhimin, the former director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government, are related to this turmoil, which triggered the central government to adjust its policy towards Hong Kong and resolve to reform the Hong Kong and Macao work system.
Responding to U.S. sanctions: Proud
Zhang Xiaoming has a deep relationship with Hong Kong. He is an official in charge of Hong Kong and Macao work for a long time. In 1988, he served in the Chinese representative office of the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group. Secretary, for 13 years, during which time he served as deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
In 2012, Leung Chun-ying was elected as the Chief Executive, and Zhang Xiaoming was sent to Hong Kong as the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government and joined the Central Hong Kong and Macao Work Coordination Group.
In August 2020, Zhang Xiaoming was one of more than 10 Chinese and Hong Kong officials who were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department.
Zhang Xiaoming also participated in the formulation of the "Hong Kong National Security Law" and "improving the electoral system". He once said that the stronger the national security bottom line, the greater the space for "one country, two systems".
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