Chief Executive John Lee on Friday welcomed the appointment of Zhou Ji as the new head of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong, expressing confidence that he will lead the office in continuing its support to the SAR.

In a statement, Lee also thanked departing liaison office director Zheng Yanxiong for his contributions to the city, noting that he had fully supported the city’s government in fulfilling its historic mission of enacting local national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law during his two-year tenure.

The State Council had earlier announced that Zhou, 61, would replace Zheng as both the director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government (LOCPG) in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and as national security advisor of the SAR's Committee for Safeguarding National Security.

Lee noted that Zhou is well acquainted with the national policies in Hong Kong, having served as the Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council since July 2023.

“I am fully confident that Mr Zhou will lead the LOCPG in continuing its support to the HKSAR Government's governance in accordance with the law, working together with us in fully, faithfully and resolutely implementing the principles of ‘one country, two systems’, ‘Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong’ and a high degree of autonomy,” Lee said in the statement.

“I am also confident that Mr Zhou will lead the LOCPG in its continued co-operation with the HKSAR Government of promoting the HKSAR's proactive alignment with national strategies, creating new momentum and advantages for Hong Kong's economic development, promoting Hong Kong's transition from stability to prosperity through innovation and invention, and making greater contribution to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” he added.

Lee also expressed his deep gratitude to Zheng for steadfastly upholding the ‘one country, two systems’ principle on issues such as safeguarding national security and maintaining the city’s constitutional order.