| Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region | |
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| 香港特別行政區行政長官 | |
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| Government of Hong Kong Office of the Chief Executive | |
| Style |
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| Type | Head of government |
| Member of | Executive Council |
| Residence | Government House |
| Nominator | Election Committee |
| Appointer | State Council of the People's Republic of China (Decree signed byPremier)[1] |
| Term length | 5 years Re-electable for another maximum 5-year term |
| Constituting instrument | Hong Kong Basic Law |
| Inaugural holder | Tung Chee-hwa |
| Formation | 1 July 1997; 28 years ago (1997-07-01) |
| Salary | US$675,000[2] |
| Website | ceo.gov.hk/en |
| Chief Executive of Hong Kong | |||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 香港特別行政區行政長官 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 香港特别行政区行政长官 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Commonly abbreviated as | |||||||||||||||||
| Chinese | 香港特首 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Politics andgovernment ofHong Kong |
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Thechief executiveof the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of theHong KongSpecial Administrative Region andhead of theGovernment of Hong Kong.[3]
The position was created to replace the office ofGovernor of Hong Kong, the representative of theMonarch of the United Kingdom duringBritish colonial rule.[4] The office, as stipulated by theHong Kong Basic Law, formally came into being on 1 July 1997 with thehandover of Hong Kong from theUnited Kingdom to thePeople's Republic of China. The chief executive is head of theexecutive branch of the Hong Kong government.
The functions of the chief executive include nominatingprincipal officials for appointment by theState Council of China, which is headed by thepremier, conductingforeign relations, appointingjudges and other public officers, giving consent tolegislation passed by theLegislative Council, and bestowinghonours. The Basic Law grants the chief executive a wide range of powers, but obliges him or her, before making important policy decisions, introducing bills to the Legislative Council, making subsidiary legislation, and dissolving the Legislative Council, toact only after consultation with theExecutive Council (all of whose members are the CE's own appointees).[5] The executive council consists of official and non-official members, including theChief Secretary for Administration, the most senior official and head of theGovernment Secretariat, in charge of overseeing the administration of the Government.
The Chief Executive holds the title "The Honourable", and ranks first in theHong Kong order of precedence.[6] The official residence of the chief executive isGovernment House inCentral,Hong Kong Island.
The current chief executive isJohn Lee selected as chief executive in the2022 election, appointed by the Chinese State Council with the designation decree signed by PremierLi Keqiang on 30 May 2022 and took office on 1 July 2022. Lee is the fifth chief executive of Hong Kong; each of his four predecessors are still living.
According to article 44 of the Basic Law, the chief executive must be aChinese citizen as defined by the HKSAR Passports Ordinance.[7][8] The individual must be at least 40 years old, aHong Kong permanent resident who is a Chinese citizen withright of abode in Hong Kong, and has ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than 20 years.[7] Article 47 further requires that the chief executive be a person of integrity, dedicated to his or her duties.[7] In addition, candidates are ineligible to stand for selection by theElection Committee without first obtaining nominations from one eighth of its total members.
The specific method for selecting the chief executive is prescribed in Annex I of the Basic Law. TheElection Committee shall be composed of 1500 members from the following sectors pursuant to the amended Annex I under the2021 Hong Kong electoral changes initiated by theNational People's Congress. The Election Committee consists of individuals (i.e. private citizens) and representatives of bodies (i.e. special interest groups or corporate bodies) selected or elected by 40 prescribed sub-sectors as stipulated in Annex I to theBasic Law.
TheElection Committee is responsible for the nomination of chief executive candidates and election of the chief executive-elect. Under the2021 Hong Kong electoral changes initiated by theNational People's Congress, each candidate running for chief executive elections is to be nominated by at least 188 members of theElection Committee, before their eligibility is reviewed and confirmed by the Candidate Eligibility Review Committee of the HKSAR. The chief executive-designate is then returned by the Election Committee with an absolute majority.[9]
The Election Committee is now principally elected by body voters. The number of subsectors with individual votes were significantly reduced, together with elimination of mixed individual and body voting:
| Sector | Members[10] |
|---|---|
| Industrial, commercial and financial sectors | 300 |
| The professions | 300 |
| Agricultural, labour, religious, Chinese social and townspeople organisations | 300 |
| Members of theLegislative Council, representatives of government and mainlanders' organisations | 300 |
| HKSAR deputies to theNational People's Congress, theNational Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and representatives of Hong Kong members of Chinese national organisations | 300 |
| Total | 1,500 |
Chief Executive candidates must receive nominations by at least 188 members of theElection Committee, with nomination by at least 15 members of each sector of the Election Committee. Candidacy is confirmed upon review and confirmation of eligibility by the Candidate Qualification Review Committee, according to opinions issued by theCommittee for Safeguarding National Security of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the basis of a review by the National Security Department of theHong Kong Police Force on whether a candidate meets the legal requirements and conditions of upholding the Basic Law and swearing allegiance to the HKSAR ofthe People's Republic of China.
The Chief Executive-designate is then returned by the Election Committee with an absolute majority in a two-round system:[11]
| Uncontested election | Contested election | |
|---|---|---|
| Election Committee casts votes of support/not support; the chief executive-designate is to be returned with an absolutely majority (>750 valid votes) | Election Committee casts votes for 1 of the candidates; the chief executive-designate is to be returned with an absolute majority (>750 valid votes) | |
| If absolute majority won | If absolute majority not won | |
| Candidate with an absolutely majority of valid votes elected | If: 1. more than 2 candidates obtain the highest and the same no. of votes; or Then:
| |
The chief executive-designate must publicly disaffiliate with a political party within seven days of the election and must not become a member of a party during their term of office.[11] The chief executive-designate is then appointed by theCentral People's Government of thePeople's Republic of China before taking office.
In thefirst selection of the chief executive, the committee consisted of only 400 members. It was expanded to 800 for thesecond term.[12][13] As a result of enabling legislation stemming from apublic consultation in 2010,[14] and its approval by theNational People's Congress Standing Committee in Beijing, the number of representatives was increased from 800 to 1200.[15] Following the electoral reform initiated by the Chinese government in 2021 to increase mainland-Chinese controls on Hong Kong, the number of representatives was increased to 1500 but most are appointed orex-officio seats.
According toarticle 46 the term of office of the chief executive is five years with a maximum of two consecutive terms.[7] If a vacancy occurs mid-term, the new Chief Executive's first term is for the remainder of the previous Chief Executive's term only. The method of selecting the chief executive is provided underArticle 45 and Annex I of the Basic Law, and the Chief Executive Election Ordinance.[7]
Under the Basic Law the chief executive is the chief representative of thepeople of Hong Kong and is thehead of the government of Hong Kong. The Chief Executive's powers and functions include leading the government, implementing the law, signing bills and budgets passed by theLegislative Council, deciding on government policies, advising appointment and dismissal of principal officials of theGovernment of Hong Kong to theCentral People's Government of China, appointing judges and holders of certain public offices and to pardon orcommute sentences. The position is also responsible for thepolicy address made to the public.
The chief executive's powers and functions are established by article 48 of the Basic Law.
TheExecutive Council of Hong Kong is an organ for assisting the chief executive in policy-making.[16] The council is consulted before making important policy decisions, introducing bills to the Legislative Council, making subordinate legislation or dissolving the Legislative Council.
Article 52 of theBasic Law stipulates that the Chief Executive must resign when:
TheLegislative Council has the power to propose a motion of impeachment of the chief executive for decision by theCentral People's Government of China, with the following steps as stipulated in article 73(9) of theBasic Law:[17]
The acting and succession line is spelled out in article 53. If the chief executive is not able to discharge his or her duties for short periods (such as during overseas visits), the duties would be assumed by thechief secretary for administration, thefinancial secretary or thesecretary for justice, by rotation, in that order, as acting chief executive.[7] In case the position becomes vacant, a new chief executive would have to be selected.[18]
Prior to thehandover in 1997, the office of the chief executive-designate was at the seventh floor of the Asia Pacific Finance Tower.[19] WhenTung Chee-hwa assumed duty on 1 July 1997, the office of the chief executive was located at the fifth floor of theFormer Central Government Offices (Main Wing).[20] In the past the governor had his office atGovernment House. Tung did not use Government House as the primary residence because he lived at his own residence atGrenville House.[21]Donald Tsang decided to return to the renovated Government House during hisfirst term, and moved in on 12 January 2006, for both his office and residence.[22] In 2011, the office of the chief executive moved to the low block of the newCentral Government Complex inTamar. Government House continues to serve as the official residence of the Chief Executive.
Upon retirement, former Chief Executives have access to office space at the Office of Former Chief Executives, 28Kennedy Road.[23] The office provides administrative support to former Chief Executives to perform promotional, protocol-related, or any other activities in relation to their former official role. The activities include receiving visiting dignitaries and delegations, giving local and overseas media interviews, and taking part in speaking engagements.[24] A chauffeur-driven car is provided to discharge promotional and protocol-related functions.
Depending on police risk assessment, personal security protection is provided. Former Chief Executives also enjoy medical and dental care.[25]
Former Chief Executives hold the title "The Honourable", and rank third in theHong Kong order of precedence.
Remuneration for the chief executive of Hong Kong isamong the highest in the world for a political leader, and only second to that of theprime minister of Singapore. The pay level took a cue from the handsome amounts paid to the city'scolonial governors – worth $273,000 per annum plus perks in 1992.[26]
In 2005,Tung Chee Hwa received some HK$3 million ($378,500) in pay as Chief Executive. From 2009 until the end of 2014, the salary for the job stood at HK$4.22 million. In January 2015,Leung Chun-Ying reversed a pay freeze imposed in 2012, resulting in its increase to HK$4.61 million ($591,000).[27]
In July 2017, directors of bureaux (DoBs) were approved to have a 12.4% pay rise and the 3.5% pay differential between secretaries of departments (SoDs) and DoBs remained,[28] indicating a new annual pay of approximately HK$5 million for the city's leading role because the Chief Executive received a salary of 112% of theChief Secretary. The new salary of Chief Executive of Hong Kong is about thirty-nine times more than the annual salary ofPresident of China.[29]
Since the chief executive is directly appointed by theCentral People's Government of China[30] after an election by a committee of 1,500 people selected by the Chinese Government, rather than the general population,[31] many people, in particular thepro-democrats, have criticised the office asundemocratic, and have criticised the entire election process as a "small-circle election."[32] Former chief executiveTung Chee-hwa has even stated that the election's result is a non-binding one, saying that the Chinese government would refuse to appoint the winning candidate if that person was unacceptable to them.[33]
Many events, including theFive Constituencies Referendum in 2010,Umbrella Revolution in 2014 andAnti-Extradition Movement during 2019–20, have attempted to push for greater democracy anduniversal suffrage.[34]
In January 2015, whenLeung Chun-Ying reversed a pay freeze imposed on the chief executive and senior civil servants in 2012, he was accused of granting himself a pay rise by stealth and going against the trend of top politicians taking pay cuts instead of pay increases.[27]
In July 2021,Carrie Lam refused to remove thelegal immunity of the chief executive in anti-bribery legislation, stating that the officeholder has to be accountable to theBeijing government and hence, extending such provisions to CE would 'sabotage its superior constitutional status'. She was accused of positioning herself above the law whilst going against the principles ofseparation of power andrule of law.[35]
| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office Duration in years and days | Election | Political alignment | Term [n 1] | Government (supporting parties) | Appointer (Premier) | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .jpg) | Tung Chee-hwa 董建華 (born 1937) | 1 July 1997 | 12 March 2005[n 2] | 1996 | Pro-Beijing | 1 | Tung I (DAB •LP) | Li Peng | [36] |
| 2002 | 2 | Tung II (DAB •FTU •LP •TA) | Zhu Rongji | [37] | ||||||
| 7 years and 255 days | ||||||||||
| 2 |  | Donald Tsang 曾蔭權 (born 1944) | 21 June 2005 | 30 June 2012 | 2005 | Pro-Beijing | Tsang I (DAB •FTU •LP •TA) | Wen Jiabao | [38] | |
| 2007 | 3 | Tsang II (DAB •LP •FTU •TA •ES) | [39] | |||||||
| 7 years and 10 days | ||||||||||
| 3 |  | Leung Chun-ying 梁振英 (born 1954) | 1 July 2012 | 30 June 2017 | 2012 | Pro-Beijing | 4 | Leung (DAB •FTU •BPA •NPP •LP) | [40] | |
| 5 years and 0 days | ||||||||||
| 4 | .jpg) | Carrie Lam 林鄭月娥 (born 1957) | 1 July 2017 | 30 June 2022 | 2017 | Pro-Beijing | 5 | Lam (DAB •BPA •FTU •LP •NPP) | Li Keqiang | [41] |
| 5 years and 0 days | ||||||||||
| 5 | | John Lee 李家超 (born 1957) | 1 July 2022 | Incumbent | 2022 | Pro-Beijing | 6 | Lee (DAB •FTU •BPA •NPP •LP) | [42] | |
| 3 years and 149 days | ||||||||||
| # | Chief Executive | Born | Age at start of tenure | Age at end of tenure | Post-tenure timespan | Lifespan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Died | Age | ||||||
| 1 | Tung Chee-hwa | 7 Jul 1937 | 59 years, 359 days 1 Jul 1997 | 67 years, 248 days 12 Mar 2005 | 20 years, 259 days | 2025-11-26(Living) | 88 years, 142 days |
| 2 | Donald Tsang | 7 Oct 1944 | 60 years, 257 days 21 Jun 2005 | 67 years, 267 days 30 Jun 2012 | 13 years, 149 days | 2025-11-26(Living) | 81 years, 50 days |
| 3 | Leung Chun-ying | 12 Aug 1954 | 57 years, 324 days 1 Jul 2012 | 62 years, 322 days 30 Jun 2017 | 8 years, 149 days | 2025-11-26(Living) | 71 years, 106 days |
| 4 | Carrie Lam | 13 May 1957 | 60 years, 49 days 1 Jul 2017 | 65 years, 48 days 30 Jun 2022 | 3 years, 149 days | 2025-11-26(Living) | 68 years, 197 days |
| 5 | John Lee | 7 Dec 1957 | 64 years, 206 days 1 Jul 2022 | 69 years, 205 days 30 Jun 2027 | (Pending) | 2025-11-26(Living) | 67 years, 354 days |
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