Beijing appoints former All-China Women’s Federation vice-president Zhang Dongmei as deputy director of the Hong Kong Affairs Office, marking her as the first woman to hold the role since 2023.

Beijing has selected Zhang Dongmei, a former vice-president of the All-China Women’s Federation, as a new deputy director of the top office overseeing Hong Kong affairs, making her the first woman to take on the role since the body’s status was elevated in 2023. Zhang’s appointment as the new deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) fills the vacancy left by the departure of Xiang Bin, a party group member of the office, earlier this year. The State Council’s decision was...