Beijing Reveals Liaison Office's Flaws

Beijing found some issues with how the liaison office here is run

It looks like all is not well with the Liaison Office in Sai Ying Pun, known as the one that rules Hong Kong from Western district.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection revealed a number of issues following a recent inspection of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council.

Chief inspector Ning Yanling said the party's leadership in the office is not strong enough, nor is the implementation of the central leadership's decisions firm. Also, the choice and the use of personnel is not satisfactory, there is no timely reshuffling of grassroots personnel, there is loose and lax management of the party, and they took up more office space than allowed.

Zhang Xiaoming is the current director of the liaison office

The office should strengthen its leadership and "push forward new developments in the work on Hong Kong and Macau", and strictly adhere to political discipline," Ning said.

The commission also said the office should give "corruption risks" existing in the leadership and their subordinates high priority, and set up the monitoring and use of funds, he said.

At the same time the report acknowledged the office "had made certain achievements in implementing the party's basic requirement regarding the work on Hong Kong and Macau, and strengthening party discipline".

While no officials were singled out in the report, Wang Guangya, the director of the office, was quoted as saying the office accepted the feedback push forward new developments in its work, and implement the recommendations of the inspectors.

To add to the findings, Sing Pao, which has regularly covered the operations at the office, ran a front page story on this most recent report.

Wang Guangya acknowledged mistakes and vowed to reform

It cited an earlier commentary from the paper that suggested the office had been corrupt ever since the time of former director Liao Hui, who is a mentor of current office head Zhang Xiaoming. Liao is considered quite influential in political and business circles.

It seems the liaison office here is run as its own fiefdom and not necessarily following Beijing's orders. We're all curious to know what kind of corruption is happening in the office, money not properly spent.

Does this have to do with filling the coffers of pro-Beijing party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong to help them in their campaigning and political activities?

And taking up more office space? What does that mean? Did someone spread out their stuff on other desks they weren't supposed to use?

It's all so intriguing.

The office is scrambling to fix errors of its ways and from now on we may see a change in how it deals with Hong Kong politics. More restraint? Picking its fights carefully?

We shall see...

Pro-Beijing Paper Blasts CY Leung

The front page of Sing Pao calling for CY Leung to be investigated

Sing Pao is a staunch pro-Beijing newspaper, but today its editorial claimed Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying was "inciting" the Hong Kong independence movement with the help of the Liaison Office.

The editorial urged China's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) to investigate Leung and the office, which is an extension of the Central government in the city.

"In fact, Hong Kong independence has no market in Hong Kong... Leung Chun-ying deliberately encouraged Hong Kong independence to consolidate the authority of his governance and the hawk faction," it read, saying there was barely any talk of independence before Leung came to office.

It also criticized Leung for attracting only incompetent people to work for him, saying the Liaison Office was happy to see a "core interest group" seeking the approval of Leung and the office.

It quoted "political figures" whom the editorial author knew as saying that they received "warm reminders" a day after they made statements in disagreement with Leung. The author claimed there were threats made to those who spoke out, and that many political figures had experienced this.

The editorial urged the CCDI to investigate the Liaison Office, specifically mentioning Li Qiufang, a member of the commission who has been stationed at the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council since January in order to oversee discipline inspection work in the Hong Kong and Macau Liaison Office.

"Hong Kong society expects the CCDI to investigate the work and the role of the Liaison Office along with a recommendation to disband the group that hurts the interests of the country and Hong Kong," the editorial said.

"Return peace to Hong Kong society; return lives not involved in politics to schools; return the energy for developing the country to the political and business sector; return innocence to the 'central [government]' so that it does not have to take the blame for some individuals who only seek personal gain."

Is this for real? Sounds like Leung must have made someone at Sing Pao so angry that they are calling for him and the Liaison Office to be investigated by Li.

One would have thought Apple Daily would be pushing for this, but for a pro-Beijing newspaper to do this is very intriguing, especially days before the Legislative Council election.

How is the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) going to handle this latest hot potato? All is not united in the pro-Beijing camp when someone is calling for bad elements to be ousted.

However the democratic camp is so fractured, this outburst won't do much, though it will help boost candidate Ricky Wong Wai-kay's platform of "ABC" -- anyone but CY Leung...

Will Li and CCDI respond? Stay tuned...

Watch Out for Mooncake Bribes

Name officials you think are spending too much money on mooncakes

With Mid-Autumn Festival on September 27, mainland Chinese officials are warning that the giving of gifts, particularly mooncakes, could be a hotbed for corruption.

Xinhua reported Song Dajun, deputy chief of the Party work style supervision office under the Chinese Communist Party Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), said: "The root is still there even though the tree has fallen".

Interesting metaphor considering the anti-corruption drive is still ongoing, so how can the tree have fallen already?

He called on supervisory bodies to be extra vigilant ahead of and during the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays a few days after, as this period could be "used as a cover for subtle bribery".

Mooncakes are dense pastries usually filled with lotus seed paste and duck egg yolks, though these days there are numerous variations, like milk custard, red bean with mandarin peel, even durian and chocolate. Some are presented in elaborate packaging that may give the appearance of an expensive gift.

So beware! If you see Chinese officials spending excessive amounts of money during the upcoming festivities, report them to the CCDI! Violators will be named and shamed in a weekly report on the CCDI website from September 16.

An App to Crackdown on Corruption

The public can now use a new app to crack down on corrupt officials in China

It's getting harder for Chinese officials to get away with robbing from taxpayer coffers and spending it on themselves.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) has just launched a smartphone app that allows the public to anonymously upload pictures and videos they take of officials who may be misusing public funds or government vehicles, or breaking Communist Party rules on lavish entertainment.

Not only is it a way for the public to help the CCDI root out bad elements from the Party, but also perhaps instill some confidence in the people that the government is trying to tackle the problem.

CCDI says the public can anonymously upload text (432 characters), pictures and videos (up to 5MB) that denounce what the Communist Party says are "the four decadent tendencies" that include "hedonism and extravagance".

Wang Qishan (centre) heads the CCDI to root out corruption

Violations that could possibly be lavish spending on entertainment, expensive holidays in China or abroad, handing out funds or gifts that violate Party rules, extravagant wedding banquets, parties or funerals.

According to the Communist Party, some 100,000 people have been punished for disciplinary violations in the past two years, though many received minor disciplinary punishments to avoid going to court.

While some members of the public thing the app is a fantastic idea, even praising anti-corruption czar Wang Qishan as a "great man", others are cynical and wonder if the CCDI has enough manpower to catch all the corrupt officials on the app. Others pondered online if these officials would really be brought to justice, or that others may take revenge through the app...

Nevertheless, it will be much harder for officials to think themselves different from the rest of the people.

In China these days, appearances really are everything.