Beijing has appointed Zheng Yanxiong, former director of the Central Government's Liaison Office in Hong Kong, as vice chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee.
The announcement came Friday following a meeting of the NPC Standing Committee.
The 61-year-old official's new appointment comes just one month after he was replaced by Zhou Ji as Beijing's top representative in Hong Kong. Zheng had served as liaison office director since January 2023, taking over from Luo Huining.
A seasoned administrator with extensive experience in Guangdong province, Zheng first rose to prominence in Hong Kong affairs when he was named inaugural director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security in July 2020 - a key position created after the implementation of the National Security Law.
During his tenure as liaison chief, Zheng oversaw Hong Kong's transition to the "patriots administration" era and played a crucial role in coordinating mainland support for the SAR's post-pandemic recovery. He concurrently served as national security advisor to Hong Kong's Committee for Safeguarding National Security.
