On the State Council's appointment of Mr Zheng Yanxiong as the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (LOCPG) and National Security Adviser to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (NSC), and the removal of Mr Luo Huining as the Director of the LOCPG, National Security Adviser of the NSC and Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council (HKMAO), the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, issued the following statement today (January 14):

     The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and I welcome Mr Zheng Yanxiong on his assumption of the new posts, and express our gratitude to Mr Luo Huining for his contribution to the HKSAR as the Director of the LOCPG, National Security Adviser of the NSC and Deputy Director of the HKMAO.

     Mr Zheng became the first Head of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR (OSNS) in July 2020. For more than two years, Mr Zheng led the OSNS in performing its mandate of safeguarding national security in accordance with the law, effectively co-ordinating with the NSC and overseeing and guiding the HKSAR's work in safeguarding national security.

     I have every confidence that Mr Zheng will lead the LOCPG in continuing to support the HKSAR Government's governance in accordance with the law, and to work together in fully, faithfully and resolutely implementing the principles of "one country, two systems" and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy. I am fully confident that Mr Zheng will continue to maintain the constitutional order of the HKSAR as stipulated in the Constitution and the Basic Law and implement the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong". As Hong Kong embarks on the critical period of breaking new ground and leaping forward, I am sure that Mr Zheng will continue to co-operate with the HKSAR Government in supporting the promotion of Hong Kong's integration into national development and making greater contribution to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

     The HKSAR Government and I are also very grateful to Mr Luo for his devotion and effort in performing his duties as Director of the LOCPG in the past some three years. On the important issues of safeguarding national security and the HKSAR's constitutional order, he has always adhered to the "one country, two systems" principle, ensuring the accurate understanding of all sectors of Hong Kong in the Central Authorities' overall jurisdiction over the HKSAR. During Mr Luo's tenure, the Central Authorities promulgated and implemented the National Security Law, and improved the HKSAR's electoral system to implement the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong". Since the establishment of the NSC in accordance with the law, Mr Luo has been serving as its National Security Adviser, as appointed by the Central People's Government, to ensure the effective implementation of the National Security Law in the HKSAR. Mr Luo has played an important role in the process of Hong Kong's major transition from chaos to order and advancement to the crucial stage of prosperity.

     Mr Luo has always attached great importance to areas of concern to the people of Hong Kong, including promoting a better living and working environment for all, youth development, and capitalising on the opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. When Hong Kong was faced with severe challenges brought by the COVID-19 epidemic, Mr Luo led the LOCPG in fully supporting Hong Kong's anti-epidemic work, co-ordinating and uniting all walks of life in implementing support measures to fight the epidemic together. The HKSAR Government and I would like to express our respect and sincere gratitude to him.

Ends/Saturday, January 14, 2023
Issued at HKT 19:02

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