The Office of the Chief Executive (CEO) is a government agency that supports the work of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong. It consists of the chief executive's closest political aides and support staff who run Government House,the Executive Council,and the chief executive's press office. The current director of the office is Carol Yip[zh],who was appointed in 2022 and is the first woman to serve in the position.
The Chief Executive's Office in its current form was created on 16 December 1996,shortly after the election of Tung Chee-hwa as Chief Executive in the 1996 election. The office took over the governor's establishment upon the transfer of sovereignty on 1 July 1997.[2]
Prior to the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong,the Governor's office was located in Government House,which served as the official residence and office for 25 of Hong Kong's 28 governors. After the Handover in 1997,the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong,Tung Chee Hwa,chose not to reside in Government House,citing the "crowded" environment and "bad feng shui". He moved his office to the fifth floor of the main wing of the Central Government Offices (now known as Justice Place),which at the time housed the offices of the Chief Secretary and Financial Secretary. The move took place in December 1997,with Tung renting office space in the Asia Pacific Finance Tower from July to December 1997.[3][4]
When Donald Tsang assumed office in June 2005,he decided to reside in Government House again and initiated a monthslong remodelling of the residence. In January 2006,the office relocated back to Government House.
In 2002,the Executive Council under Tung Chee-hwa approved plans to construct a set of new offices for the government,which was outgrowing its premises in the Murray Building,Central Government Offices and Legislative Council Building. The new Central Government Complex was completed in 2011,and included a dedicated building for the Chief Executive's office. The office moved into the new building on 8 August 2011 and has remained there since.[5]
Organisation
The office is led by the director,who is a political appointee. The office's civil service establishment is led by the permanent secretary,who oversees the branches that cover the various areas of work carried out by the office:[2][6]
The private secretary was the most senior civil servant in the office until 1998.
Press Office
Information Coordinator
Assistant Director (Media)
Principal Information Officer
Press Secretary (ExCo)
Executive Council
Clerk to the Executive Council
Administration
Chief Executive Officer (Administration)
Senior Executive Officer (Adm) 1
Executive Officer (Government House)
Housekeeper
Senior Executive Officer (Adm) 2
Social Secretary
Executive Officer (Adm)
A small number of other officials in charge of running Government House and the Chief Executive's office are also attached to the Office. A superintendent of police serves as the Chief Executive's aide-de-camp.
Agency executives
Directors
The director of the office is a political appointee ranked at directorate pay scale point 8,equivalent to a secretary of a policy bureau. The director serves as the Chief Executive's chief of staff.[8]
The permanent secretary is the most senior civil servant at the office. The position is ranked at directorate pay scale point 6, which is lower than the permanent secretaries of the various policy bureaux, who are ranked at point 8.
Traditionally, the Chief Executive would receive petitions outside his or her office every Tuesday before the weekly meeting of the Executive Council.[9][10] The practice was suspended by Carrie Lam on 31 March 2020 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and has not been revived since,[11][12] with her successor John Lee stating in 2023 that there was no need to do so as there were already many channels for the government to receive feedback.[13]
Controversies
After the National Security Law was passed, the Chief Executive's Office told Apple Daily that it would reveal the list of designated judges for national security cases, but in January 2021, Apple Daily revealed that the Chief Executive's Office had broken its promise and cited confidentiality.[14]
In August 2022, after Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, John Lee criticised the visit and vowed that "The Hong Kong government would fully support and facilitate all necessary measures by Beijing to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity."[15] After mainland China suspended imports from hundreds of food factories in Taiwan, the Office of the Chief Executive was asked whether Hong Kong would do the same, and the Office said it had nothing to add.[15]
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