BloombergChina yesterday named an official known for tearing crosses from the roofs of churches to lead the agency that oversees Hong Kong, in the biggest shake-up yet after months of unrest in the territory. Xia’s installation follows last month’s appointment of Luo Huining (駱惠寧) as head of China’s Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Hong Kong. “The reshuffling at this interesting moment may point to a deep distrust from Xi Jinping toward the former faction dealing with Hong Kong affairs,” said Sonny Lo (盧兆興), a Hong Kong-based academic and political commentator. “It’s clear that Xi Jinping wants to have a clear grasp of the situation in Hong Kong — that’s the major point,” Lo added. The CCP late last year issued a communique signaling greater intervention in everything from education in Hong Kong to how the territory picks its leader.

Source: Taipei Times February 13, 2020 15:56 UTC