The politics of Hong Kong takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by its quasi-constitutional document, the Hong Kong Basic Law, its own legislature, the Chief Executive as the head of government and of the Special Administrative Region and of a politically constrained multi-party system. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China is led by the Chief Executive, the head of government.
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the executive authorities of Hong Kong SAR. It was formed in July 1997 in accordance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1983, an international treaty lodged at the United Nations. This government replaced the former British Hong Kong Government (1842–1997). The Chief Executive also nominates principal officials for appointment by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The Government Secretariat is headed by the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, who is the most senior principal official of the Government. The Chief Secretary and the other secretaries jointly oversee the administration of the SAR, give advice to the Chief Executive as members of the Executive Council, and are accountable for their actions and policies to the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council.
The existing Hong Kong honours system was created after transfer of government of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China as a special administrative region in 1997. Before that, Hong Kong was a British dependent territory and followed the British honours system. The HKSAR Government does not maintain any records of pre 1997 awards including gallantry awards.
Queen's College, initially named The Government Central School in 1862 and later renamed Victoria College (皇后書院) in 1889, is a selective sixth form college for boys with a secondary school attached. The first public secondary school founded in Hong Kong by the British colonial government, Queen's College obtained its present name in 1894 and is currently located at Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong order of precedence is a nominal and symbolic hierarchy of important positions within the Government of Hong Kong. Administered by the government's Protocol Division, the hierarchy does not determine the order of succession for the office of Chief Executive, which is instead specified by the Basic Law of Hong Kong.
The Gold Bauhinia Star is the highest rank in Order of the Bauhinia Star in Hong Kong, created in 1997 to replace the British honours system of the Order of the British Empire after the transfer of sovereignty to People's Republic of China and the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). It is awarded to those who have given distinguished service to the community or rendered public or voluntary services of a very high degree of merit.
Principal officials, according to the Basic Law, are government officials who are nominated by the Chief Executive and appointed by the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China. They include secretaries of departments and secretaries of policy bureaux. Five other officials are also principal officials because of the importance of their positions.
Sophie Leung Lau Yau-fun, OBE, GBS, JP is a resident of the Hong Kong SAR, Mrs. Sophie Leung had been a Member of the Legislative Council of HKSAR from 1996 to 2012, representing the textile and garment industry, and has been a Deputy of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China since 2003.
Eva Cheng, GBS was the Secretary for Transport and Housing and the chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Authority in the Hong Kong Government.
The Fifth Legislative Council of Hong Kong is the former meeting of the legislative branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The membership of the LegCo is based on the 2012 election. The term of the session is from 1 October 2012 to 30 September 2016, during the term in office of the Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying. Due to the new arrangements agreed in a contentious LegCo vote in 2010, the session consists of the new total of 70 seats in LegCo, ten more than previously, with 35 members elected in geographical constituencies through direct elections, and 35 members in functional constituencies, in which five District Council (Second) functional constituency seats each represent all 18 District Councils of Hong Kong voted for by all resident voters in Hong Kong. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong remained the largest party while the pan-democrats secured the one-third crucial minority. Notable new members of the LegCo members include Gary Fan from the new established party Neo Democrats and first openly gay councillor, People Power's Ray Chan Chi-chuen.
The Fourth Legislative Council of Hong Kong was the last meeting of the legislative branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The membership of the LegCo is based on the 2008 election. The term of the session is from 1 October 2008 to 30 September 2012, during the second half of the Donald Tsang's administration and first two months of the Leung Chun-ying's term in office. The meeting place was moved from the Legislative Council Building to the new built Legislative Council Complex in 2011. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong remained the largest party with 10 seats. Notable newcomers to the Legislative Council included Regina Ip, Priscilla Leung, Wong Yuk-man, Tanya Chan, and Paul Tse.
The Third Legislative Council of Hong Kong was the meeting of the legislative branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The membership of the LegCo is based on the 2004 election. The term of the session was from 1 October 2004 to 30 September 2008, during the second half of the Tung Chee-hwa's administration until his resignation in 2005 and was replaced by Donald Tsang for the rest of the term, and also the beginning of the third term of Chief Executive after Tsang won in the 2007 Election. The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong (DAB) became the largest party with 10 seats. Notable newcomers to the Legislative Council included Leung Kwok-hung, Alan Leong, Ronny Tong, Albert Cheng, and Jeffrey Lam.
Lau Nai-keungSBS was a Hong Kong academic, businessman, and politician. He held several positions in the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and various universities and businesses. He advocated for greater political and economic integration between the Hong Kong SAR and mainland China.
David Lan Hong-TsungGBS, ISO, JP is a former politician and civil servant in Hong Kong who served as the Secretary for Home Affairs from September 1997 to 7 July 2000. He is currently a National Committee Member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference representing Hong Kong, serving in that post since January 2003.
Alan Lai NinGBS, JP is a Hong Kong politician and civil servant who served as the Director-General of the Trade and Industry Department from 1996 to 1999, Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption from 1999 to 2002 and the Ombudsman of the Office of the Ombudsman from 2009 until his retirement in 2014. He is now a consultant with the Independent Police Complaints Council.
The Faculty of Arts of The University of Hong Kong (HKU) is one of the oldest faculty in the University of Hong Kong, and is considered to be one of Asia's best Arts and Humanities faculties.
The Sixth Legislative Council of Hong Kong is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. The term of the session is from 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2020. The session consists of the new total of 70 seats in LegCo, with 35 members elected in geographical constituencies through geographical constituency direct elections, and 35 members in functional constituencies. The membership is based on the 2016 Legislative Council election.
Duncan Warren Pescod is the director of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, a statutory body of the Hong Kong Government.
Michael Wong Wai-lun is a Hong Kong government official. He is the current Secretary for Development from 2017.
