The Hong Kong connection: Xi Jinping, 4 other top Chinese leaders and an ideologue who studied city from afar
- New hierarchy of seven-member Politburo Standing Committee could lead to smoother implementation of key policies involving Hong Kong, analysts say
- Pro-Beijing heavyweight says new team gives Hong Kong ‘quite a lot opportunities to be involved in the overall development of China’
Pro-Beijing heavyweight Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai also said the new team would be “an asset” for Hong Kong as it could guide the city through an increasingly tense geopolitical environment and help it to further integrate with the country’s overall development.
“The geopolitical situation will just get more intense as time goes by, as China gains more momentum and the West will increase their pressure in order to disrupt … it will be an asset for us with these new leaders that know about Hong Kong, we need very intelligent and determined leadership to guide us through,” said Fan, the city’s former sole delegate to the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.
Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies, added the leaders’ on-the-ground experience in Hong Kong affairs and links built with the city over the years “would facilitate a smoother delivery of key policies”, as they had a “holistic view of the practical circumstances in Hong Kong”.
The new hierarchy of the seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, the Communist Party’s top ruling body, was revealed on Sunday.
Five of them – Xi Jinping, 69; Li Qiang, 63; Cai Qi, 66; Ding Xuexiang, 60; and Li Xi, 66 – had close ties with the financial hub in their previous roles.
