CHINA-LEADERSHIP: SING TAO HINTS AT INFIGHTING IN BEIJING
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On October 3, 2016, the Pro-Beijing Hongkong-based Sing Pao newspaper front-paged a commentary denouncing the political syndicate associated with China’s former President Jiang Zemin for allowing the China Liaison Office to 'expand its network of cronies in Hong Kong'. Since late August, the Chinese-language newspaper has been running anonymous commentaries attacking Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and the powerful Liaison Office of Beijing in Hongkong. Surprisingly, the Sing Pao articles have not been censored. Sing Pao’s latest anonymous commentary on October 3, criticised Zhang Dejiang, PBSC member and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Liao Hui, former director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, for permitting the Liaison Office to expand its “layers of interests” in Hong Kong.
There is speculation that Zhang Dejiang, an ally of Jiang Zemin who, according to Sing Pao is the main force in the Liaison Office, is being targetted. Sing Pao has accused Zhang Dejiang of failing to halt the vote-buying fraud in the NPC last month, which saw 45 members from Liaoning Province being expelled from the Party.
(Comment: Some analysts believe that Sing Pao’s repeated anonymous critiques are meant to “bombard” Beijing with discontent and they will not stop until Beijing finalises the list of candidates for Leung Chun-ying’s replacement in the 2017 elections for Chief Executive. Others believe it indicates factional infighting between the Jiang and Xi camps, with Leung belonging to the Jiang’s camp.)
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