A former Communist Party personnel official, Xu Qifang, has taken up a senior role in the office overseeing Hong Kong and Macau affairs.

According to an announcement by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office on Friday, its director Xia Baolong held talks with a group of Hong Kong and Macau members of the All-China Youth Federation meeting in Beijing, and Xu was referred to as the executive deputy director.

That means Xu has filled the vacancy left by Zhou Ji, who was earlier named the director of Beijing's liaison office in the SAR.

Xu spent most of his political career in Shaanxi province before taking up positions in Hainan in 2021.

He later served as a deputy chief of the Organisation Department of the party's central committee and the director of the State Administration of Civil Service.