Chief Secretary for Administration

The Chief Secretary for Administration, commonly known as the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, is the most senior principal official of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Chief Secretary is head of the Government Secretariat which oversees the administration of the Region to which all other ministers belong, and is accountable for his or her policies and actions to the Chief Executive and to the Legislative Council. Under Article 53 of the Basic Law, the position is known as "Administrative Secretary". As the second highest ranking public official in Hong Kong, the Chief Secretary acts as Acting Chief Executive when the Chief Executive is absent.

Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
香港特別行政區政務司司長
Incumbent
Eric Chan
since 1 July 2022
Government Secretariat of Hong Kong
Government of Hong Kong
Style
Member of
Reports toLegislative Council
ResidenceVictoria House, 15 Barker Road, Victoria Peak
NominatorChief Executive
AppointerState Council of the People's Republic of China
Term lengthNo longer than the Chief Executive's remaining term
Constituting instrumentHong Kong Basic Law
Inaugural holderAnson Chan
Formation1 July 1997; 26 years ago (1997-07-01)
SalaryHK$4,500,000 annually[1]
WebsiteCSO
Chief Secretary for Administration
Traditional Chinese政務
Simplified Chinese政务
Cantonese YaleJingmouhsī Sījéung

The Chief Secretary formulates and implements government policy, gives advice to the Chief Executive as a member of the Executive Council, and is responsible for managing the Government's relationship with the Legislative Council and drawing up the Government's legislative programme. The office (“Department of Administration” per Article 60 of the Basic Law) also exercises certain statutory functions, such as the handling of appeals from designated public bodies.[2]

Prior to the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, the office was known simply as "Chief Secretary" (Chinese: 布政司; Cantonese Yale: Boujingsī), and before 27 August 1976, "Colonial Secretary".[3][4] Until the introduction of the Principal Officials Accountability System in 2002, the Chief Secretary was a civil service position, and in this capacity, the head of the public service. In 2005, Henry Tang became the first person who has not been a civil servant to be appointed to the office of the Chief Secretary.[citation needed]

From the 1870s to 1902 the Colonial Secretary was the de facto Lieutenant Governor of Hong Kong which was once held by the Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong before 1870s when the post was not lapsed from power. After 1902 the title disappeared from use as the second highest post was transferred to the Colonial Secretary and later, Chief Secretary.[citation needed]

List of Chief Secretaries of Hong Kong edit

Colonial Secretaries, 1843–1941 edit

No. Portrait Name Term of office Governor Ref
1   George Alexander Malcolm
麻恭
26 June 1843 29 August 1843 Sir Henry Pottinger
(1843–1844)
2   Sir Frederick Wright-Bruce
卜魯斯
9 February 1843 1846 [5]
Sir John Francis Davis
(1843–1848)
3   William Caine
威廉·堅
3 September 1846 12 April 1854 [6]
Sir George Bonham
(1848–1854)
4   William Thomas Mercer
孖沙
13 April 1854 14 May 1868 Sir John Bowring
(1854–1859)
[7]
Sir Hercules Robinson
(1859–1865)
Sir Richard MacDonnell
(1866–1872)
5   John Gardiner Austin
柯士甸
7 May 1868 4 April 1878 [8]
Sir Arthur Kennedy
(1872–1877)
Sir John Pope Hennessy
(1877–1882)
6   William Henry Marsh
馬師
3 January 1879 10 June 1887
Sir George Bowen
(1883–1887)
7   Frederick Stewart
史釗域
5 October 1887 6 October 1889 Sir William Des Voeux
(1887–1891)
8   Francis Fleming
菲林明
17 January 1890 26 February 1892
Sir William Robinson
(1891–1898)
9   G. T. M. O'Brien
柯布連
11 March 1892 30 April 1895
10   Sir Stewart Lockhart
駱克
26 March 1895 23 April 1902
Sir Henry Arthur Blake
(1898–1903)
11 Sir Francis Henry May
梅含理
14 May 1902 30 April 1911 [9][10]
Sir Matthew Nathan
(1904–1907)
Sir Frederick Lugard
(1907–1912)
12   Warren Delabere Barnes
班士
7 June 1911 28 October 1911 [11]
13 Sir Claud Severn
施勳
22 February 1912 14 November 1925
Sir Francis Henry May
(1912–1918)
Sir Reginald Stubbs
(1919–1925)
14   Sir Thomas Southorn
修頓
1 May 1925 23 March 1936 Sir Cecil Clementi
(1925–1930)
Sir William Peel
(1930–1935)
Sir Andrew Caldecott
(1935–1937)
15   Norman Lockhart Smith
史美
26 November 1936 8 December 1941
Sir Geoffry Northcote
(1937–1941)
Sir Mark Aitchison Young
(1941)
16   Sir Franklin Gimson
詹遜
8 December 1941 25 December 1941

Colonial Secretaries, 1946–1976 edit

No. Portrait Name Term of office Duration Governor Ref
17   David Mercer MacDougall
麥道高
1 May 1946 11 May 1949 2 years, 344 days Sir Mark Aitchison Young
(1946–1947)
Sir Alexander Grantham
(1947–1957)
18   John Fearns Nicoll
列誥
25 May 1949 23 January 1952 2 years, 243 days
19   Sir Robert Brown Black
柏立基
20 February 1952 30 March 1955 3 years, 38 days
20   Edgeworth Beresford David
戴維德
4 May 1955 24 January 1958 2 years, 265 days [12]
Sir Robert Brown Black
(1958–1964)
21   Claude Bramall Burgess
白嘉時
24 January 1958 10 March 1963 5 years, 46 days [12][13][14]
22   Edmund Brinsley Teesdale
戴斯德
11 March 1963 28 March 1965 2 years, 18 days [14][15]
Sir David Trench
(1964–1971)
23   Sir Michael Gass
祈濟時
4 September 1965 22 January 1969 3 years, 141 days [16][17]
24   Sir Hugh Norman-Walker
羅樂民
29 March 1969 29 September 1973 4 years, 185 days [18]
Sir Murray MacLehose
(1971–1982)
25   Sir Denys Roberts
羅弼時
30 September 1973 26 August 1976 2 years, 332 days [19][3]

Chief Secretaries, 1976–1997 edit

No. Portrait Name Term of office Duration Governor Ref
1   Sir Denys Roberts
羅弼時
27 August 1976 2 October 1978 2 years, 37 days Sir Murray MacLehose
(1971–1982)
[3][20]
2   Sir Jack Cater
姬達
3 October 1978 19 November 1981 3 years, 48 days [20][21]
3   Sir Philip Haddon-Cave
夏鼎基
20 November 1981 9 June 1985 3 years, 202 days [21][22]
Sir Edward Youde
(1982–1986)
4   Sir David Akers-Jones
鍾逸傑
10 June 1985 11 February 1987 1 year, 247 days [22][23]
5   Sir David Robert Ford
霍德
12 February 1987 28 November 1993 6 years, 290 days Sir David Wilson
(1987–1992)
[23][24]
Chris Patten
(1992–1997)
6   Anson Chan
陳方安生
29 November 1993 30 June 1997 3 years, 214 days [24]

Chief Secretaries for Administration, 1997–present edit

Political party:   Nonpartisan

No. Portrait Name Term of office Duration Chief Executive Term Ref
1   Anson Chan
陳方安生
1 July 1997 30 April 2001 3 years, 304 days Tung Chee-hwa
(1997–2005)
1
2   Donald Tsang Yam-kuen
曾蔭權
1 May 2001 31 May 2005[a] 4 years, 31 days
2
3   Rafael Hui Si-yan
許仕仁
30 June 2005 30 June 2007 2 years, 0 days Donald Tsang
(2005–2012)
2
4   Henry Tang Ying-yen
唐英年
1 July 2007 30 September 2011[b] 4 years, 91 days 3
5   Stephen Lam Sui-lung
林瑞麟
30 September 2011 30 June 2012 275 days
6   Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor
林鄭月娥
1 July 2012 16 January 2017[c] 4 years, 200 days Leung Chun-ying
(2012–2017)
4
7   Matthew Cheung Kin-chung
張建宗
16 January 2017 25 June 2021 4 years, 161 days
Carrie Lam
(2017–2022)
5
8   John Lee Ka-chiu
李家超
25 June 2021 7 April 2022[d] 287 days
9   Eric Chan Kwok-ki
陳國基
1 July 2022 Incumbent 1 year and 258 days John Lee
(2022–present)
6
  1. ^ Resigned on 25 May 2005, with effect from 1 June 2005, Michael Suen served as acting Chief Secretary between 25 May and 30 June 2005.
  2. ^ Resigned on 28 September 2011, with effect from 30 September 2011, Michael Suen served as acting Chief Secretary between 28 and 30 September 2011.
  3. ^ Resigned on 12 January 2017, with effect from 16 January 2017, Matthew Cheung served as acting Chief Secretary from 13 to 16 January 2017.
  4. ^ Resigned on 6 April 2022, with effect from 7 April 2022; Position vacant until 1 July 2022.

Residence edit

 
Victoria House, 15 Barker Road, Hong Kong.

The Chief Secretary resides at an official residence at 15 Barker Road, The Peak, Hong Kong, which is also known as Victoria House and Victoria Flats.

See also edit

References edit

General
  • Choa, Gerald H. (2000). "Appendix II: Colonial Secretaries of Hong Kong, 1843–1912". The Life and Times of Sir Kai Ho Kai: A Prominent Figure in Nineteenth-Century Hong Kong (2nd ed.). Hong Kong: Chinese University Press. p. 274. ISBN 978-962-201-873-0. OCLC 44267286.
Specific
  1. ^ "Remuneration package for Politically Appointed Officials serving in fifth-term HKSAR Government". Hong Kong Government.
  2. ^ Chief Secretary's Office, Hong Kong Government
  3. ^ a b c "Colonial Secretary (Change of Title) Notice 1976 L.N. 226 of 1976". Regulation of Hong Kong 1976: B1109. 25 August 1976.
  4. ^ Roberts, Denys (18 April 2006). Another Disaster: Hong Kong Sketches. The Radcliffe Press. ISBN 9781845111120.
  5. ^ "No. 20315". The London Gazette. 9 February 1844. p. 442.
  6. ^ "No. 20709". The London Gazette. 26 February 1847. p. 834.
  7. ^ "No. 21635". The London Gazette. 1 December 1854. p. 3909.
  8. ^ "No. 23353". The London Gazette. 18 February 1868. p. 772.
  9. ^ "No. 27423". The London Gazette. 8 April 1902. p. 2334.
  10. ^ Clementi, Cecil (1912). "General Observations" (PDF). Hong Kong Annual Report (1911). p. 24. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  11. ^ "Death of Mr. W.D.Barnes". The Straits Times. Singapore. 30 October 1911. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2014.
  12. ^ a b "No. 134 of 1958". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 100: 223. 24 January 1958.
  13. ^ "No. 716 of 1959". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 101: 1360. 29 May 1959.
  14. ^ a b "G.N. 469 of 1963". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 105: 629. 13 March 1963.
  15. ^ "G.N. 733 of 1965". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 107: 1012. 26 March 1965.
  16. ^ "G.N. 2159 of 1965". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 107. 4 September 1965.
  17. ^ "G.N. 146 of 1969". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 111: 168. 24 January 1969.
  18. ^ "G.N. (E.) 10 of 1969". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 111: 9. 29 March 1969.
  19. ^ "G.N. 2559 of 1973". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 115: 3839. 3 October 1973.
  20. ^ a b "G.N. 2536 of 1978". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 120: 2887. 6 October 1978.
  21. ^ a b "G.N. 3410 of 1981". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 123: 4156.
  22. ^ a b "G.N. 1875 of 1985". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 127: 2626. 14 June 1985.
  23. ^ a b "G.N. 440 of 1987". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 129: 667. 13 February 1987.
  24. ^ a b "G.N. 440 of 1993". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 134: 6073. 3 December 1993.

External links edit