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Emily Hung

Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong has been restructured, with the Economic Department split into two and its district-level groups expanded.
Analysts said the move reflected a greater focus on financial, youth and district work, as well as a push to align with the latest national five-year plan.
A comparison of the office’s organisational chart on its website on Thursday with internet archive records showed that the number of departments had been reduced from 24 to 23, even as its Economic Department was split into two entities, the Economic and Financial Department I and Department II.
The previous Education and Technology Department and Youth Work Department were consolidated into the Education and Youth Department.
The reorganisation also signalled an expansion in district-level coordination, with the New Territories Work Department split into the New Territories East Affairs and West Affairs departments.
The Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Work departments were also renamed the Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Affairs departments, respectively.
The restructuring introduced a new Social Development Department, running in parallel with the existing Social Work Department.
Three were removed – the Shenzhen Contact Department, the Information Enquiry Centre and the Information Centre.
In May last year, Zhou Ji replaced Zheng Yanxiong as director of the liaison office.
Zhou previously served as the No 2 official at the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, which also underwent an upgrade to a higher-level outfit reporting directly to Communist Party leadership, instead of the State Council, in 2023.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said the overhaul signalled a shift in strategy by the central government.
“This shows that the liaison office is placing a much stronger focus on financial, youth and district work moving forward, which aligns more closely with the Hong Kong government’s policy priorities and underscores how much importance Beijing attaches to these areas,” he said.
“All of these responsibilities involve deep cross-border cooperation, including the internationalisation of the renminbi, supporting the education, employment and career development of local youth, and strengthening the various ties between Hong Kong residents and the mainland.”
Lau said he believed the creation of a Social Development Department would help strengthen ties with all sectors of society and encourage them to actively participate in Hong Kong’s philanthropic activities, especially mainland enterprises.
Sonny Lo Shiu-hing, an honorary professor of the University of Hong Kong’s politics and public administration department, said he believed the revamp was a strategic response to rapidly changing circumstances in Hong Kong.
He also suggested that the office was seeking to align with Beijing’s targets for Hong Kong under the 15th national five-year plan.
Lo cited the added focus on finance for the office’s economic development efforts, saying it reflected Beijing’s vision to develop Hong Kong into an international hub for finance, trade, logistics, and global offshore renminbi business, among other areas.
He added that removing the Shenzhen Contact Department could help streamline the office’s structure since mainland officials often conducted visits to Hong Kong directly instead of making use of the Shenzhen branch.


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Politics

Office’s Economic Department also split into two, reflecting central government’s greater focus on financial matters, analyst says


Office’s Economic Department also split into two, reflecting central government’s greater focus on financial matters, analyst says.


Beijing’s liaison office

Lau Siu-kai

Beijing’s liaison office restructured, with focus on economy, district work

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Office’s Economic Department also split into two, reflecting central government’s greater focus on financial matters, analyst says

Office’s Economic Department also split into two, reflecting central government’s greater focus on financial matters, analyst says