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Chief Secretary for Administration
Principal official of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

The chief secretary for administration is the second-highest government official in Hong Kong, right after the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. When the chief executive is on leave, the chief secretary for administration will act on their behalf.

The chief secretary for administration heads the Government Secretariat, which oversees the administration of the Region to which all other ministers belong. The chief secretary for administration reports to the chief executive and to the Legislative Council. Under Article 53 of the Basic Law, the position is known as "Administrative Secretary".

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.

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"(Chinese: 輔政司; Cantonese Yale: Fuhjingsī). 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.

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.

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List of chief secretaries of Hong Kong

Colonial secretaries, 1843–1941

No.PortraitNameTerm of officeGovernorRef
1George Alexander Malcolm麻恭26 June 184329 August 1843Sir Henry Pottinger(1843–1844)
2Sir Frederick Wright-Bruce卜魯斯9 February 184418465
Sir John Francis Davis(1843–1848)
3William Caine威廉·堅3 September 184612 April 18546
Sir George Bonham(1848–1854)
4William Thomas Mercer孖沙13 April 185414 May 1867Sir John Bowring(1854–1859)7
Sir Hercules Robinson(1859–1865)
Sir Richard MacDonnell(1866–1872)
5John Gardiner Austin柯士甸7 May 18684 April 18788
Sir Arthur Kennedy(1872–1877)
Sir John Pope Hennessy(1877–1882)
6William Henry Marsh馬師3 January 187910 June 1887
Sir George Bowen(1883–1887)
7Frederick Stewart史釗域5 October 18876 October 1889Sir William Des Voeux(1887–1891)
8Francis Fleming菲林明17 January 189026 February 1892
Sir William Robinson(1891–1898)
9G. T. M. O'Brien柯布連11 March 189230 April 1894
10Sir Stewart Lockhart駱克26 March 189523 April 1902
Sir Henry Arthur Blake(1898–1903)
11Sir Francis Henry May梅含理14 May 190230 April 1911910
Sir Matthew Nathan(1904–1907)
Sir Frederick Lugard(1907–1912)
12Warren Delabere Barnes班士7 June 191128 October 191111
13Sir Claud Severn施勳22 February 191214 November 1925
Sir Francis Henry May(1912–1918)
Sir Reginald Stubbs(1919–1925)
14Sir Thomas Southorn修頓1 May 192623 March 1936Sir Cecil Clementi(1925–1930)
Sir William Peel(1930–1935)
Sir Andrew Caldecott(1935–1937)
15Norman Lockhart Smith史美26 November 19368 December 1941
Sir Geoffry Northcote(1937–1941)
Sir Mark Aitchison Young(1941)
16Sir Franklin Gimson詹遜8 December 194125 December 1941

Colonial secretaries, 1946–1976

No.PortraitNameTerm of officeDurationGovernorRef
17David Mercer MacDougall麥道高1 May 194611 May 19492 years, 344 daysSir Mark Aitchison Young(1946–1947)
Sir Alexander Grantham(1947–1957)
18John Fearns Nicoll列誥25 May 194923 January 19522 years, 243 days
19Sir Robert Brown Black柏立基20 February 195230 March 19553 years, 38 days
20Edgeworth Beresford David戴維德4 May 195524 January 19582 years, 265 days12
Sir Robert Brown Black(1958–1964)
21Claude Bramall Burgess白嘉時24 January 195810 March 19635 years, 46 days131415
22Edmund Brinsley Teesdale戴斯德11 March 196328 March 19652 years, 18 days1617
Sir David Trench(1964–1971)
23Sir Michael Gass祈濟時4 September 196522 January 19693 years, 141 days1819
24Sir Hugh Norman-Walker羅樂民29 March 196929 September 19734 years, 185 days20
Sir Murray MacLehose(1971–1982)
25Sir Denys Roberts羅弼時30 September 197326 August 19762 years, 332 days2122

Chief secretaries, 1976–1997

No.PortraitNameTerm of officeDurationGovernorRef
1Sir Denys Roberts羅弼時27 August 19762 October 19782 years, 37 daysSir Murray MacLehose(1971–1982)2324
2Sir Jack Cater姬達3 October 197819 November 19813 years, 48 days2526
3Sir Philip Haddon-Cave夏鼎基20 November 19819 June 19853 years, 202 days2728
Sir Edward Youde(1982–1986)
4Sir David Akers-Jones鍾逸傑10 June 198511 February 19871 year, 247 days2930
5Sir David Robert Ford霍德12 February 198728 November 19936 years, 290 daysSir David Wilson(1987–1992)3132
Chris Patten(1992–1997)
6Anson Chan陳方安生29 November 199330 June 19973 years, 214 days33

Chief secretaries for administration, 1997–present

Political party:   Nonpartisan

No.PortraitNameTerm of officeDurationChief ExecutiveTermRef
1Anson Chan陳方安生1 July 199730 April 20013 years, 304 daysTung Chee-hwa(1997–2005)1
2Donald Tsang Yam-kuen曾蔭權1 May 200131 May 2005344 years, 31 days
2
3Rafael Hui Si-yan許仕仁30 June 200530 June 20072 years, 0 daysDonald Tsang(2005–2012)2
4Henry Tang Ying-yen唐英年1 July 200730 September 2011354 years, 91 days3
5Stephen Lam Sui-lung林瑞麟30 September 201130 June 2012275 days
6Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor林鄭月娥1 July 201216 January 2017364 years, 200 daysLeung Chun-ying(2012–2017)43738
7Matthew Cheung Kin-chung張建宗16 January 201725 June 20214 years, 161 days39
Carrie Lam(2017–2022)5
8John Lee Ka-chiu李家超25 June 20217 April 202240287 days41
9Eric Chan Kwok-ki陳國基1 July 2022Incumbent2 years and 333 daysJohn Lee(2022–present)642

Residence

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

  • Hong Kong portal
General Specific

References

  1. Chief Secretary's Office, Hong Kong Government http://www.cso.gov.hk/eng/role/role.htm ↩

  2. "Civil Service Bureau - Search Glossary of Terms Commonly Used in Government Departments". www.csb.gov.hk. Retrieved 25 March 2024. https://www.csb.gov.hk/hkgcsb/glossary/glossary_search_en.php?search_name1=Colonial+Secretary&and_or=and&search_name2=&catall=1&cat_code%5B%5D=A&F&cat_code%5B%5D=Civil_Service&cat_code%5B%5D=C&IT&cat_code%5B%5D=CEA&cat_code%5B%5D=Culture&cat_code%5B%5D=Education&cat_code%5B%5D=E&M&cat_code%5B%5D=Environment&cat_code%5B%5D=Finance&cat_code%5B%5D=Fire&cat_code%5B%5D=Housing&cat_code%5B%5D=Immigration&cat_code%5B%5D=Labour&cat_code%5B%5D=Medical&cat_code%5B%5D=Meteorology&cat_code%5B%5D=Postal_Services&cat_code%5B%5D=P_Health&cat_code%5B%5D=P_Order&cat_code%5B%5D=S_Welfare&cat_code%5B%5D=T_Planning&cat_code%5B%5D=Trade_Industry&cat_code%5B%5D=Transport&cat_code%5B%5D=Water&display_order=t ↩

  3. "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. 9781845111120 ↩

  5. "No. 20315". The London Gazette. 9 February 1844. p. 442. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/20315/page/442 ↩

  6. "No. 20709". The London Gazette. 26 February 1847. p. 834. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/20709/page/834 ↩

  7. "No. 21635". The London Gazette. 1 December 1854. p. 3909. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/21635/page/3909 ↩

  8. "No. 23353". The London Gazette. 18 February 1868. p. 772. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/23353/page/772 ↩

  9. "No. 27423". The London Gazette. 8 April 1902. p. 2334. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/27423/page/2334 ↩

  10. Clementi, Cecil (1912). "General Observations" (PDF). Hong Kong Annual Report (1911). p. 24. Retrieved 5 October 2014. /wiki/Cecil_Clementi ↩

  11. "Death of Mr. W.D.Barnes". The Straits Times. Singapore. 30 October 1911. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2014. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19111030-1.2.66.aspx ↩

  12. "No. 134 of 1958". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 100: 223. 24 January 1958. ↩

  13. "No. 134 of 1958". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 100: 223. 24 January 1958. ↩

  14. "No. 716 of 1959". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 101: 1360. 29 May 1959. ↩

  15. "G.N. 469 of 1963". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 105: 629. 13 March 1963. ↩

  16. "G.N. 469 of 1963". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 105: 629. 13 March 1963. ↩

  17. "G.N. 733 of 1965". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 107: 1012. 26 March 1965. ↩

  18. "G.N. 2159 of 1965". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 107. 4 September 1965. ↩

  19. "G.N. 146 of 1969". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 111: 168. 24 January 1969. ↩

  20. "G.N. (E.) 10 of 1969". Hong Kong Government Gazette Extraordinary. 111: 9. 29 March 1969. ↩

  21. "G.N. 2559 of 1973". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 115: 3839. 3 October 1973. ↩

  22. "Colonial Secretary (Change of Title) Notice 1976 L.N. 226 of 1976". Regulation of Hong Kong 1976: B1109. 25 August 1976. ↩

  23. "Colonial Secretary (Change of Title) Notice 1976 L.N. 226 of 1976". Regulation of Hong Kong 1976: B1109. 25 August 1976. ↩

  24. "G.N. 2536 of 1978". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 120: 2887. 6 October 1978. ↩

  25. "G.N. 2536 of 1978". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 120: 2887. 6 October 1978. ↩

  26. "G.N. 3410 of 1981". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 123: 4156. ↩

  27. "G.N. 3410 of 1981". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 123: 4156. ↩

  28. "G.N. 1875 of 1985". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 127: 2626. 14 June 1985. ↩

  29. "G.N. 1875 of 1985". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 127: 2626. 14 June 1985. ↩

  30. "G.N. 440 of 1987". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 129: 667. 13 February 1987. ↩

  31. "G.N. 440 of 1987". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 129: 667. 13 February 1987. ↩

  32. "G.N. 440 of 1993". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 134: 6073. 3 December 1993. ↩

  33. "G.N. 440 of 1993". Hong Kong Government Gazette. 134: 6073. 3 December 1993. ↩

  34. 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. /wiki/Michael_Suen ↩

  35. Resigned on 28 September 2011, with effect from 30 September 2011, Michael Suen served as acting Chief Secretary between 28 and 30 September 2011. /wiki/Michael_Suen ↩

  36. Resigned on 12 January 2017, with effect from 16 January 2017, Matthew Cheung served as acting Chief Secretary from 13 to 16 January 2017. /wiki/Matthew_Cheung ↩

  37. "New team of Principal Officials appointed (with photos)". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 25 March 2024. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201206/28/P201206280236.htm ↩

  38. "CE receives CS' resignation". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 25 March 2024. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201701/12/P2017011200559.htm ↩

  39. "New team of Principal Officials appointed (with photos)". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 25 March 2024. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201706/21/P2017062100346.htm ↩

  40. Resigned on 6 April 2022, with effect from 7 April 2022; Position vacant until 1 July 2022. ↩

  41. "Government announces appointment and removal of Principal Officials (with photos)". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 25 March 2024. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202106/25/P2021062500412.htm ↩

  42. "Principal Officials of Sixth-term HKSAR Government appointed (with photos)". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 25 March 2024. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202206/19/P2022061900202.htm?fontSize=1 ↩