A hard-line figure has been appointed by China as head of its new security agency in Hong Kong.

Zheng Yanxiong has enjoyed the most senior designation of the secretary-general of the Communist Party committee in the southern province of Guangdong.

He is renowned for his role in handling protests over a land dispute in the southern Chinese village of Wukan in 2011. At that time, he slammed the villagers for talking to “a few rotten foreign media organizations” instead of the government regarding their issues.

He had said in remarks aired on a local TV, “These media organizations will only be happy when our socialist county falls apart,”

Authorities had given a rare concession, and the direct election of a popular local leader was conducted. However, he was jailed for corruption five years later. 

The new agency has been established to enforce the controversial security law that has been passed this week in Hong Kong. It will answer directly to Beijing.

According to the international news agency, the law affects secession, subversion, and terrorism with punishments of up to life in prison.

Hong Kong celebrated its 23 years since British reign ended as a new “anti-protest” law, imposed by China, comes into practice. BOL News reported on 1st July.

Each year, a pro-democracy protest is held on the anniversary. Tens or hundreds of thousands of people attend it.

However, authorities have banned the march for the first time since the handover. The cited the ban on gatherings of more than 50 people due to coronavirus.

Some activists have decided to march later in the afternoon.