Beijing has selected Zhang Dongmei, a former vice-president of the All-China Women’s Federation, as a new deputy director of the top office overseeing Hong Kong affairs, making her the first woman to take on the role since the body’s status was elevated in 2023.

Zhang’s appointment as the new deputy head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) fills the vacancy left by the departure of Xiang Bin, a Communist Party of China group member of the office, earlier this year.

The State Council’s decision was announced by the Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday. Her selection brings the office’s total number of deputy directors up to five.

The body’s top leadership also includes Zhou Ji, director of Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong.

Xia Baolong has led the HKMAO since 2020. Three years later, the office was elevated to a unit that reported directly to the party’s central leadership.

Zhang has no known prior experience in Hong Kong affairs.