March
2023
The Chinese Communist Party assumed direct oversight of Hong Kong after a bureaucratic reshuffling that portends a greater degree of coordination between the Hong Kong government and Beijing. Per the new change, the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office now reports directly to the Party’s Central Committee, a change from prior practice when it reported to the State Council of the People’s Republic of China.
Summary
This change comes on the heels of a planned centralization of the CCP’s control over Hong Kong, following years of Beijing exerting more influence over Hong Kong’s administration and civil liberties through policies like the National Security Law. With Hong Kong now directly overseen by the Party’s top leadership, it is increasingly clear that the integration of Hong Kong into mainland China–not just through legal means, but also through projects like the Greater Bay Area–remains a top priority for Xi Jinping’s administration.
Analysis
