China’s HK liaision says city will stabilise

Bloomberg

China’s new top official in Hong Kong said he is certain the city will stabilise following months of political unrest, backing leader Carrie Lam and her administration in his first public comments since being appointed.
“I am fully confident about this,” Luo Huining, the new director of the Hong Kong Liaison office, said at a media briefing. “Everyone fervently hopes that Hong Kong can get back on track. As President Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address, without a harmonious and stable environment, how could there be a peaceful home? I sincerely wish Hong Kong and Hong Kongers well.”
The installation of Luo, a Communist Party stalwart known for faithfully executing Xi’s anti-corruption campaign, signals Beijing’s intention to restore law and order after nearly seven months of political unrest. He takes over from Wang Zhimin, the Chinese government said in a statement that didn’t elaborate on the move.
Luo served as party secretary in China’s Shanxi province until November, and became deputy chairman of the financial and economic committee of the powerful National People’s Congress last month.
While Chinese media has credited him with enforcing the central government’s campaign to purge corruption and weed out disloyal officials in Shanxi, he has no direct experience in Hong Kong.“Luo seems to have had the experience to end chaos and restore stability in Shanxi,” said Victoria Hui, associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame. “Since the outbreak of anti-extradition protests, Beijing has been trying to rein in Hong Kong.” “It’s not clear why a strongman like him was not picked earlier,” she said.
Chinese and Hong Kong officials have frequently been caught off guard by developments in the former colony during the unrest. Communications between Beijing and Hong Kong are mainly conducted through the Liaison Office, which was established in 2000 to replace the New China News Agency, Beijing’s unofficial representative during the British colonial era.
Chief executive Carrie Lam said that she had worked briefly with Luo when he was running Shanxi and that she had “no doubt” that he would help promote “prosperity and stability” in Hong Kong.