The State Council has appointed Zheng Yanxiong as director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and a national security advisor to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR.

The appointment, which takes immediate effect, was announced by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Saturday.

Zheng had been serving as director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR since July 2020.

The State Council also relieved Luo Huining of his duties as director of the liaison office, advisor to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR and deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu on Saturday congratulated Zheng on his new appointment, saying the SAR government will work closely with him at the critical juncture of opening a new chapter and taking a new leap to advance Hong Kong's integration into national development and the city's bid to make greater contributions to the country's great rejuvenation.

Lee expressed confidence that Zheng will lead the liaison office in supporting the SAR's law-based governance, jointly implementing "one country, two systems" and Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy fully and accurately, and safeguarding the city's constitutional order as set by the Constitution and Hong Kong's Basic Law.

Lee praised Zheng for having led the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR in protecting national security and making effective efforts with the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR to coordinate, supervise and guide the SAR in work relating to national security.

Lee also thanked Luo for his enduring care for Hong Kong residents' livelihood and youth development, as well as helping the SAR to seize the opportunities arising from the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

In the past three years since Luo became head of the liaison office, he has unswervingly upheld "one country, two systems" in important issues, such as safeguarding national security and protecting the city's constitutional order, making sure that Hong Kong society fully understands the central government's overall jurisdiction over the SAR, Lee said.

The chief executive also recalled the support from Luo and the liaison office in Hong Kong's protracted battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Luo's role as a national security advisor to the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR during Hong Kong's transition from chaos to order and prosperity.