In a major leadership reshuffle, China took the unprecedented step to replace its top liaison officer in Hong Kong in early January — a move that signals Beijing's intention to reinforce its political grip as it struggles to restore stability following the months of often violent anti-government protests in the city.
Luo Huining, a high-ranking political veteran took over as the new head of Hong Kong’s Liaison Office, from Wang Zhimin, who had held the post since 2017. The Liaison Office, which reports to China's State Council, serves as a platform through which Beijing can influence policy direction in the semi-autonomous territory.
This is the first time that someone without direct experience in dealing with Hong Kong matters has been appointed to the top Communist party post in Hong Kong since the handover from the Britain to China. The sudden switch at the top indicates China's growing frustration with the Liaison Office, which Beijing sees as having failed to deliver the correct information to the central government and handle the protests effectively.
"By bringing in an outsider, Beijing is making the message very clear that it is not satisfied with the current regime and thinks the Liaison Office is not doing a good job in keeping them up-to-date of the situation on the ground," notes Associate Professor Alfred Wu from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy who studies the political economy of Greater China.
Taking back control
More importantly, the reshuffle comes after the pro-establishment camp suffered a stunning electoral upset in the district council election last November. The pro-democracy camp won by a landslide — taking nearly 90% of the 450 seats. The city-wide election drew nearly three million people, or 71% of registered voters — the highest turnout in the Hong Kong electoral history — reflecting widespread discontent.
Prof Wu adds that China needed a scapegoat to take the blame for the crushing defeat, which was an embarrassing blow to Beijing. "The major defeat caused the pro-establishment camp in Beijing and Hong Kong to lose face. It needed somebody to pay a price. Wang Zhimin stepped down partly because of that."
Observers believe China is seeking to take more control of Hong Kong policy through the leadership change at the Liaison Office, which was set up in 2000. In recent years, the Office has evolved to become a sophisticated political machine, influencing the outcomes of both the district and legislative council elections.
Calling it a "quasi-ruling party" in the Journal of Contemporary China, Eliza W. Y. Lee, Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration and Director of Centre for Civil Society and Governance, at The University of Hong Kong, recently wrote: "One can argue that the Liaison Office has taken up some of the role of a hegemonic party, particularly in 'distributing patronage, gathering information, co-opting elites and binding supporters to the regime.'"
Prof Wu echoes her sentiment: "From the perspective of some Hongkongers, the Liaison Office is supposed to keep a low-profile and focus just on foreign and defence affairs for Beijing according to the "one country, two systems" framework. But in reality, it has become much more than that. It intervenes directly in co-ordinating the pro-establishment camps for elections."
Daunting task ahead
By installing Luo, 65, who has been a full member of the Communist Party's Central Committee — a top decision-making body since 2012 — China is signalling a marked shift in its approach towards Hong Kong, perhaps a tougher stance in dealing with the political turmoil going forward.
In his first speech after taking up the post, Luo said he looked forward to working with Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's Chief Executive, and her government to "guarantee that [China's] constitution and [Hong Kong's] Basic Law are fully implemented in Hong Kong".
"[Luo] is an important person who has served two provinces in China," notes Prof Wu. "His most urgent task would be to prepare for the upcoming Legislative council election in September 2020. The second thing he needs to do is try and unite the pro-Beijing camp, which is divided for the first time because of the extradition bill."
The extradition bill — which has sparked ongoing wide-scale protests in Hong Kong since June last year — would have allowed individuals to be sent for trial to China, where justice is controlled by the Communist Party. Though the bill has been withdrawn, the mass protests continue and show no signs of abating. The anti-government demonstrators have laid out five key demands, which include universal suffrage and investigations into police brutality.
With Beijing not offering any political concessions to the protestors' demands, Luo faces an uphill battle to de-escalate the crisis. As a Communist party stalwart, he is highly likely to toe the party line and ensure there is no serious challenge to Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" framework.
"The downside of this appointment is that Luo has no international experience, and Hong Kong is a global financial centre. It also depends on whether he is able to reach out to the opposition groups and open a dialogue with them. If Luo could succeed in communicating to different stakeholders, that will bring about a sea change going forward," notes Prof Wu.
"I'm not sure that will happen. In recent years under Xi Jinping's regime, it has become increasingly difficult for the pro-democracy camp to have dialogues with the liaison officers on behalf of the central government. I don't think that will change fundamentally under Luo, given he is a Xi loyalist."
(Photo: ChinaAA~commonswiki)