LU XINHUA, HONG KONG'S NEW MFA COMMISSIONER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 HONG KONG 000851

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DEPT FOR EAP AND EAP/CM
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2031
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREL HK CH
SUBJECT: LU XINHUA, HONG KONG'S NEW MFA COMMISSIONER


Classified By: E/P Chief Simon Schuchat. Reasons: 1.4(b,d).


1. (C) Summary: On February 27, Lu Xinhua arrived in Hong
Kong and took up his new post as the Commissioner of the PRC
Foreign Affairs Office, replacing the outgoing Yang Wenchang.
Lu will be Hong Kong's fourth commissioner since the
handover and at 55, will also be the youngest. During his
thirty-year career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lu
has served at the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, as
Ambassador to Finland, and most recently as the Vice Foreign
Minister in charge of administration and personnel issues.
His most prominent position, however, was his ten years as
Secretary to former Foreign Minister Qian Qichen. In media

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interviews prior to his arrival in Hong Kong, Lu expressed
confidence in Chief Executive (CE) Donald Tsang's leadership
of Hong Kong but warned foreign countries against interfering
in Hong Kong affairs. End Summary.

Speculation on Yang's Departure
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2. (C) On February 27, Lu Xinhua arrived in Hong Kong and
took up his new post as the Commissioner of the PRC Foreign
Affairs Office, replacing the outgoing Yang Wenchang.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA)
announcement on February 16, Yang -- who had completed a two
and half year term as commissioner -- will return to Beijing.
The MFA announcement did not provide details of Yang's
onward assignment or other future plans. Yang's departure is
not unexpected, but comes a few months earlier than
anticipated. There has been recent speculation about
personnel changes of several Chinese officials in charge of
Hong Kong policy that might be linked to the failure of the
Fifth Report on constitutional development, including rumors
that Liao Hui, head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office
(HKMAO) would step down after the March National People's
Congress meetings. In response to questions regarding his
own departure, and in implicit response to such speculation,
Yang told Hong Kong media that there were "no political
reasons" for his departure. He was 62 and wanted to give way
to a younger generation. Yang told us that he wanted to
return to Beijing to be with his sick wife. He has also said
in private that he may be named head of the Chinese People's
Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA),which would be a
promotion.

Career Diplomat Appointed as Commissioner
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3. (SBU) Lu will be Hong Kong's fourth commissioner since the
handover and at 55, will also be the youngest. Perhaps in
a bid to introduce Lu to the Hong Kong public and to raise
his media profile, Lu gave a series of interviews on February
24, prior to his arrival in Hong Kong, to the pro-Beijing
newspaper "Ta Kung Pao" in Beijing. The interviews provide
some background information on Lu's diplomatic career and
offer some insights into his thinking on Beijing's policy
towards Hong Kong.


4. (SBU) Lu began his career with the MFA in 1974 as a
diplomatic courier, a position that ultimately took him to
more than eighty countries around the world. (Note: In the
1970s, it was not uncommon for junior Chinese diplomats to
begin their careers as couriers. End note.) In his
thirty-year career with the MFA, Lu has had just two overseas
postings. From 1981-1986, he was posted to the Chinese
mission to the United Nations and from 1998-2001, he was the
Ambassador to Finland. His most prominent position, however,
was his ten years serving as Secretary to former Foreign
Minister Qian Qichen. Lu explains that this job had a
profound impact on his career, even though "it was not an
easy job." In 1993, after Qian was promoted to Vice Premier,
Lu followed Qian to Zhongnanhai, where he gained experience
in the policy formation process at the highest levels. More
recently, Lu served as Vice Foreign Minister and was in
charge of administration and personnel issues.

On Policy Towards Hong Kong
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5. (SBU) Lu told "Ta Kung Pao" that he had no experience
working on Hong Kong issues, though he had visited the city
several times. Most memorably, Lu, along with Vice Premier
Qian, attended the handover ceremony in 1997. Lu praised
previous commissioners for developing "sound working
relations with the HKSAR Government." He believed that Hong
Kong, under Chief Executive (CE) Donald Tsang's leadership,
would "continue to unite various sectors in Hong Kong and
make more stunning achievements in maintaining Hong Kong's

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social harmony and enhancing its economic development." He
added, "he was full of confidence in Hong Kong's future."


6. (SBU) Lu, did however, issue a warning to foreign nations,
"engaging in activities in Hong Kong that infringe upon
China's sovereignty and that affect the well-being of Hong
Kong." He noted that in response to "irresponsible remarks"
made by some foreign countries, the MFA Commission in Hong
Kong would take up the issue with the foreign forces at an
appropriate time. "Maintaining Hong Kong's prosperity and
stability are also in the interest of these countries. They
have put a great amount of investment in Hong Kong. If Hong
Kong is in chaos, their interests will also be jeopardized.
I believe they should take note of that," said Lu.

Biographic Information
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7. (SBU) Lu Xinhua, born in January 1951, is from Zhejiang
province. He graduated from the Foreign Languages Department
of Hangzhou University. He has a wife and a daughter. Lu
told the media that his wife, also a diplomat, had at one
time worked in Hong Kong.

MFA Experience:

1974-1981 Staff Member, MFA, General Office

1981-1986 Attache, Third Secretary, and then Second
Secretary, Chinese Mission to the United Nations

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1986-1988 Second Secretary, MFA, Personnel Department

1988-1998 Secretary, MFA, General Office

1988-1998 Secretary, General Office of the State Council

1998-2001 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary,
Chinese Embassy, Finland

2001-2002 Ambassador, MFA

2002-2003 Assistant Minister, MFA

2003-2006 Vice Minister, MFA

2006- Commissioner, PRC Foreign Affairs Ministry in Hong
Kong
Cunningham