Xi shows who's the boss on HK

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was in Beijing on Monday for his second duty visit since he was elected as the city's leader last year.

The arrangement was markedly different this time.

President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang no longer met the chief executive separately, as had been the case over the years. Rather, Xi presided over the meeting, with Li merely participating in it along with a number of other Beijing officials.

The political message could not be stronger: Xi is the supreme leader in charge of Hong Kong policies.

When Lee's Macau counterpart Ho Iat-seng made his duty report, there was a similar arrangement - with the exception that, instead of the central government's liaison office director in Hong Kong, Zheng Yanxiong, showing up at Lee's meeting, his Macau peer Zheng Xincong was present at Ho's session.

The events were held at Zhongnanhai's Yingtai, the symbolic place where, for centuries, Chinese emperors met with their important officials and made policies.

According to an official photo of Lee's session, Xi sat at a commanding position at the top end of the long table.

The top three officials sitting on the president's left-hand side were, respectively: Premier Li; General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee director Cai Qi; and Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macao Affairs of the CPC Central Committee leader Ding Xuexiang.

Across the table on the president's right-hand side were: John Lee; Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office director Xia Baolong; Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office executive deputy director Zhou Ji; and liaison office director Zheng Yanxiong.

The setup of the meeting was elaborate, illustrating the hierarchy of command in respect of policies relating to Hong Kong and Macau.

Earlier this year, Beijing completed its restructuring of the government. One of the changes resulted in a new policy-making body created directly under the CPC Central Committee to oversee the affairs of the two SARs.

Prior to the government reform, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office came under the premier's State Council.

The office under the State Council still exists. However, the newly created institution in charge of Hong Kong and Macao affairs reports directly to the Communist Party, led by Xi - who is also its general secretary - and not to the State Council headed by the premier.

It was Lee's first duty visit to Beijing since Beijing completed the government restructuring and the settings inside that Zhongnanhai conference room mirrored exactly the new institutional political arrangement.

It may be recalled that, as soon as Xi ascended to power about a decade ago, he required the duty visits by the two chief executives to be formalized and held before December 19 each year so that the Macau chief executive could hold the handover anniversary celebrations on December 20.

It was also demanded that the reports should be elaborate, not only citing achievements but also identifying shortfalls and with a plan for the year ahead.

After Monday's meeting, Lee said the Hong Kong SAR would pass local legislation to give effect to Basic Law Article 23 in 2024.