Wukan Protest Official Named National Security Chief

Guangdong official Zheng Yanxiong, who handled the Wukan protests of 2011, has been appointed director of Hong Kong's powerful new national security agency, while liaison office chief Luo Huining will be Beijing's adviser on the national security committee.

The Office for Safeguarding National Security will be responsible for “overseeing, guiding, coordinating with and providing support to the HKSAR in the performance of its duties for safeguarding national security”.

It can take control of criminal cases if it wishes, and anyone charged by its agents will be taken to the mainland for trial.

Zheng, who will lead the agency, most recently served as the secretary-general of the Communist Party committee of Guangdong.

He sparked controversy during an earlier posting as the party chief of Shanwei over his stance towards protesters in the village of Wukan.

The villagers had sought compensation for land requisitioned by the government and elected a committee to represent their rights. They also aired their grievances to foreign media.

Video clips that were leaked from an internal government meeting at the time showed Zheng harshly criticising the villagers and calling foreign media "rotten".

Zheng, who has never held a post outside Guangdong, was vice minister in charge of propaganda for the province from 2013 to 2018.

State media also reported that Li Jiangzhou and Sun Qingye have been named as deputy directors of the new agency. Li is the head of the liaison office’s police liaison division.

Meanwhile, liaison office director Luo is to sit on the SAR government's new national security committee as an adviser.

The committee is tasked with analysing and assessing developments in relation to safeguarding, making plans and formulating policies to safeguard national security, among other things.

It will be chaired by the Chief Executive, with director of the CE's Office, Eric Chan, taking up the role of secretary-general. (Additional reporting by AFP)