Beijing has appointed Zhang Dongmei, former vice-president of the All-China Women’s Federation, as a new deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. She is the first woman in the role since the office's elevation in 2023. The move fills the vacancy left by Xiang Bin's departure earlier this year.
The State Council has appointed Zhang Dongmei as a deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO), with the decision announced by Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday. Zhang, 58, previously served as vice-president of the All-China Women’s Federation and has no known prior experience in Hong Kong affairs. Her appointment fills the vacancy created by the earlier departure this year of Xiang Bin, a Communist Party of China group member at the office, bringing the total number of deputy directors to five. Xia Baolong has led the HKMAO since 2020, and the office was elevated in 2023 to a unit reporting directly to the party's central leadership. Zhou Ji, director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, is among the body's top leadership. The selection marks the first female deputy director since the elevation.
