Question: Zhang Xiaoming as director of theHong Kong and Macau Affairs Office helps connect mainland China to what? 

Context articles: Lu Ping
Economy of Macau
Mainland Affairs Council
2014 Wang–Zhang meetings
Overseas Chinese Affairs Office
Zhang Xiaoming
Hong Kong–Mainland China conflict
Wang Guangya
Liao Hui (politician)
Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office

Lu Ping (Chinese: 魯平; 27 September 1927 – 3 May 2015) was a Chinese politician and diplomat.
 He served as Head of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
 He is best known as China's delegation head and main representative during negotiations for the transfer of sovereignties of Hong Kong and Macau from Britain and Portugal to the PRC and labelled the last governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten as "Sinner of a Thousand Years" () for his unilateral electoral reform proposals.
The economy of Macau has remained one of the most open in the world since its handover to China in 1999.
 Apparel exports and gambling-related tourism are mainstays of the economy.
 Since Macau has little arable land and few natural resources, it depends on mainland China for most of its food, fresh water, and energy imports.
 Japan and Hong Kong are the main suppliers of raw materials and capital goods.
 Although Macau was hit hard by the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis and the global downturn in 2001, its economy grew approximately 13.1% annually on average between 2001 and 2006.
 Macau is a full Member of the World Trade Organization.
 Public Security has greatly improved after handover to People's Republic of China.
 With the tax revenue from the profitable gambling industry, the Macau government is able to introduce the social welfare program of 15 years of free education to all Macau citizens.
 In 2015, Macau's economy saw a sharp decrease (-26.4% year-on-year in Q2 2015) due to the reduced spending by visitors from Mainland China.
 
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) is a cabinet-level administrative agency under the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China.
 The MAC is responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of policies between the Republic of China on Taiwan and the People's Republic of China which administers mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
 The MAC counterpart body by the PRC is the Taiwan Affairs Office.
 Both states officially claim each other's territory, however the Republic of China controls only Taiwan and surrounding islands, and therefore is usually known as "Taiwan", sometimes referred to as the "Free Area" of the Republic of China by the Constitution of the Republic of China.
 The People's Republic of China controls mainland China as well as Hong Kong, Macau, Hainan, and other islands and is therefore usually known simply as "China".
In 2014, a series of groundbreaking meetings was held between Wang Yu-chi, in his official capacity as the Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) of the Republic of China (ROC), and Zhang Zhijun, the Minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China is the administrative office responsible for liaising with overseas Chinese residing abroad or returning to China.
 Its forerunner, the Committee of Overseas Chinese Affairs, was established in 1949; He Xiangning, the wife of Liao Zhongkai, served as its first head from October 1949 to April 1959, after which her son Liao Chengzhi took over the position of head until the abolishment of the office in June 1970.
 Upon the establishment of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office in 1978, Liao Chengzhi also became its first head.
 Liao Chengzhi's son Liao Hui also joined the office as vice-director in 1983, and was promoted to director in May 1984.
Zhang Xiaoming (born September 1963) is a Chinese politician currently serving as the Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office .
 From 2012 to 2017, he was the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong.
 He is an alternate member of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.
Tensions between people from Hong Kong and mainland China have developed since the handover of Hong Kong's sovereignty to China in 1997, and in particular since the late 2000s and early 2010s.
 Various factors have contributed to the development of such tensions: these include a difference between the popular interpretation in Hong Kong of the "One country, two systems" constitutional principle as against the Chinese government's official interpretation; policies of the Hong Kong and central governments to encourage mainland visitors to Hong Kong; and changing economic environments in Hong Kong and mainland China.
 Increasingly, these tensions have resulted in a rising sentiment in Hong Kong of hostility to "mainlanders" and resentment at a perceived trend towards assimilation and interference from the mainland and the central government, and at the same time a rising sentiment in mainland China of bewilderment and resentment at assertions that Hong Kong is, and should remain, different from the mainland in terms of political system, culture and language.
Wang Guangya (born March 1950; ) is a Chinese diplomat who is the former Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
 A career diplomat, Wang was previously Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
 He served as Permanent Representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations from 2003 to 2008.
Liao Hui (; born May 1942 in Hong Kong) is the former director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
 Since March 2003, he has also served as the second vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), in charge of the affairs of the Communist Party of China in Hong Kong and Macau.
The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council is an administrative agency of the State Council of the People's Republic of China responsible for promoting cooperation and coordination of political, economic and cultural ties between Mainland China and the Chinese Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau.