Гонконг Әкімшілігінің Басшысы

Head of the government of Hong Kong

The chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of the Government of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the office of governor of Hong Kong, the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom during British rule. The office, stipulated by the Hong Kong Basic Law, formally came into being on 1 July 1997 with the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China. The functions of the chief executive include nominating principal officials for appointment by the State Council of China, which is headed by the premier, conducting foreign relations, appointing judges and other public officers, giving consent to legislation passed by the Legislative Council, and bestowing honours. 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, to act only after consultation with the Executive Council (all of whose members are the CE's own appointees). The Executive Council consists of official and non official members, including the Chief Secretary for Administration, the most senior official and head of the Government Secretariat, in charge of overseeing the administration of the Government. The chief executive holds the title "The Honourable", and ranks first in the Hong Kong order of precedence. The official residence of the chief executive is Government House in Central, Hong Kong Island. The current chief executive is John Lee selected as Chief Executive in the 2022 election, appointed by the Chinese State Council with the designation decree signed by Premier Li Keqiang on 30 May 2022 and took office on 1 July 2022.

According to article 46 the term of office of the chief executive is five years with a maximum of two consecutive terms. The council is consulted before making important policy decisions, introducing bills to the Legislative Council, making subordinate legislation or dissolving the Legislative Council.

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 the chief secretary for administration, the financial secretary or the secretary for justice, by rotation, in that order, as acting chief executive.

Prior to the handover in 1997, the office of the chief executive designate was at the seventh floor of the Asia Pacific Finance Tower. When Tung Chee hwa assumed duty on 1 July 1997, the office of the chief executive was located at the fifth floor of the Former Central Government Offices (Main Wing). In the past the governor had his office at Government House. Tung did not use Government House as the primary residence because he lived at his own residence at Grenville House. Donald Tsang decided to return to the renovated Government House during his first term, and moved in on 12 January 2006, for both his office and residence. In 2011, the office of the chief executive moved to the low block of the new Central Government Complex in Tamar. 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, 28 Kennedy Road. 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. 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. Former chief executives hold the title "The Honourable", and ranks third in the Hong Kong order of precedence.

Remuneration for the chief executive of Hong Kong is among the highest in the world for a political leader, and only second to that of the prime minister of Singapore. The pay level took a cue from the handsome amounts paid to the city's colonial governors – worth $273,000 per annum plus perks in 1992. 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, CY Leung reversed a pay freeze imposed in 2012, resulting in its increase to HK$4.61 million ($591,000). 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, 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 the chief secretary. The new salary of chief executive of Hong Kong is about thirty nine times more than the annual salary of president of China.

Since the chief executive is directly appointed by the Central People's Government of China after an election by a committee of 1,500 people selected by the Chinese Government, rather than the general population, many people, in particular the pro democrats, have criticised the office as undemocratic, and have criticised the entire election process as a "small circle election." Former chief executive Tung 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. Many events, including the Five Constituencies Referendum in 2010, Umbrella Revolution in 2014 and Anti Extradition Movement during 2019–20, have attempted to push for greater democracy and universal suffrage. In January 2015, when CY Leung 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.