Zhang Dongmei has been appointed as one of the deputy heads of mainland China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO), making her the organisation’s first female deputy leader since its establishment in 2023.
The State Council made the announcement yesterday in a decision that brings the HKMAO’s total number of deputy heads to five. Other deputies include Xu Qifang, Zhou Ji, Zheng Xincong and Nong Rong, with Xia Balong in the top position.
Zhang, 58, is taking over from 61-year old Xiang Bin, who vacated his post earlier this year after reaching retirement age.
According to media reports, Beijing native Zhang was born in January 1968, serving as a teacher for three years after graduating from Beijing Normal College’s chemistry department in 1991.
Subsequently, she went on to pursue a career in politics, taking on positions such as the deputy district director of Beijing’s Dongcheng district and the head of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Xicheng district committee from 2004 onwards.
In 2021, Zhang became the director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security. Two years later, she took on a leading role in championing mainland women’s rights by becoming the deputy head of the All-China Women’s Federation.
[See more: Xia Baolong tells SARs to recognise the importance of China’s new economic plan]
Aside from Zhang, the State Council also appointed Yang Weiqun, to be the deputy director of China’s Liaison Office in Macao. The 58-year old is replacing 61-year old Huang Liuquan, who was appointed to the position in late 2022 and is stepping down due to age-related reasons.
Born in February 1968, Yang was made the deputy director general of the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Asian Affairs in 2016. He was appointed the director general of the organisation in 2021, later becoming the head of the ministry’s personnel department.
In December 2023, Yang became one of the four vice chairmen of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA), a state organisation responsible for coordinating foreign aid and international development.
With Yang’s appointment, the Liaison Office in Macao now has three deputy leaders including Lu Yuyin and Zhang Yingjie, with chairman, Zheng Xincong, leading the organisation.
The HKMAO and Macao Liaison Office are mainland Chinese governmental bodies responsible for managing policies and matters pertaining to the SARs and Macao respectively. The former underwent structural changes in 2023, giving it direct access to China’s Central Committee rather than simply the State Council.
