View source for Executive Council of Hong Kong

{{Short description|Cabinet of the Government of Hong Kong}}
{{Politics of Hong Kong}}
{{Coord|22.281487|N|114.165089|E|type:city_region:HK|display=title}}

{{Use Hong Kong English|date=June 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}}

{{Chinese
|t=行政會議
|s=行政会议
|j=Hang4 zing3 wui6 ji5
|y=Hàhng jing wuih yíh
|p=Xíngzhèng Huìyì
|altname=Pre-handover name
|c2=行政局
|j2=Hang4 zing3 guk6
|y2=Hàhng jing guhk
|p2=Xíngzhèngjú
}}

The '''Executive Council of Hong Kong''' ('''ExCo''') is the [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]] of the [[Government of Hong Kong]], acting as a formal body of advisers to the [[Chief Executive of Hong Kong]] that serves as a core policy-making organ assisting the chief executive.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/facts.htm|website=GovHK|title=Hong Kong – the Facts}}</ref><ref>Article 54, [[Hong Kong Basic Law]]: The Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be an organ for assisting the Chief Executive in policy-making.</ref> It is analogous to other [[Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)|Executive Councils]] in the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] such as the [[Federal Executive Council (Australia)|Federal Executive Council of Australia]], the [[Executive Council of New Zealand]], and the [[Privy Council (United Kingdom)|Privy Council of the United Kingdom]].

Under the presidency of the chief executive, the executive council consists of 21 [[Principal officials of Hong Kong|Official Members]] (the most senior of these being the [[Chief Secretary for Administration|Chief Secretary of Hong Kong]], head of the [[Government Secretariat (Hong Kong)|Government Secretariat]] and chair of the Policy Committee), and 16 Non-official Members (also known as [[Minister without portfolio|ministers without portfolio]] who are normally leading legislators from [[pro-Beijing camp|pro-establishment political parties]]) headed by the Convenor of the Non-official Members. The Council normally meets once a week.

==History==
The executive council was set up by the [[colonial Hong Kong|British Hong Kong Government]]. The first ''ex officio'' members were the [[Chief Secretary for Administration|Colonial Secretary]] and the [[Financial Secretary (Hong Kong)|Colonial Treasurer]] in the 1840s. The [[Secretary for Justice (Hong Kong)|Attorney General]] was added in the 1850s. In 1949, the Executive Council had five ''ex officio'' members: the senior military officer ([[Commander British Forces in Hong Kong|Commander of British Forces Overseas]]), the colonial secretary, the attorney general, the [[Home Affairs Department|secretary for Chinese affairs]] and the financial secretary; the [[Economic Development and Labour Bureau|Commissioner of Labour]], while an 'official' was not an ''ex officio'' member. In addition, there were six 'unofficial members': the chief manager of the [[The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation|Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation]], the [[Tai-Pan]] of [[Jardine Matheson Holdings|Jardine's]], a solicitor, two [[barrister]]s, and a physician.<ref>Ingrams, Harold, ''Hong Kong'' (Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London: 1952), p. 231.</ref>

In 1994 the title '[[Senior Unofficial Member|Senior Member]]' or 'Senior Unofficial Member' was changed to 'Convenor', when [[Lydia Dunn, Baroness Dunn|Lydia Dunn]] was succeeded in the post by [[Rosanna Wong]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=0ZxGHy-4X30C Hong Kong's Journey to Reunification - Memoirs of Chung Sze-yuen], p307, Chinese University Press, 2001, {{ISBN|962-996-002-8}}</ref><!-- Note: the Rosanna Wong WP article says this happened in 1995, though that is unsourced-->

The format of the executive council was retained after the [[Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong|transfer of sovereignty]] in 1997 until a ministerial system (named '''[[Principal Officials Accountability System]]''' or POAS) was introduced in 2002, [[Tung Chee Hwa]]'s second term of office. Since then all secretaries are political appointees and have to leave the civil service. All secretaries are appointed to the council, transforming the council effectively into a cabinet. Non-official members are minorities in the council, and are like [[minister-without-portfolio|ministers-without-portfolio]]. The position of convenor was abolished.

In fulfilling his election platform, Chief Executive [[Sir Donald Tsang]] appointed eight new non-official members the day after delivering his first [[policy address]] on 12 October 2005. Secretaries of bureaux would sit in meetings of the Council when the agenda was related to their portfolio, and the position of convenor was restored. It was presented as a move to re-strengthen the role of the council as a link with the community.

===Change in composition===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Year !! Number of<br />Official Members<br />exclusive of the<br />Chief Executive !! Number of<br />Non-official Members
|-
| 1997 || 3 || 11
|-
| 2002 || 14 || 5
|-
| 2004 || 14 || 7
|-
| 2005 || 14 || 15
|-
| 2007 || 15 || 16
|-
| 2008 || 15 || 15
|-
| 2009 || 15 || 16
|-
| 2012 || 15 || 14
|-
| 2012 || 15 || 16
|-
| 2013 || 15 || 14
|-
| 2015 || 15 || 15
|-
| 2015 || 16 || 14
|-
| 2015 || 16 || 16
|-
| 2016 || 16 || 16
|-
| 2017 || 16 || 15
|-
| 2017 || 16 || 16
|-
| 2022 || 21 || 16
|}

==Functions==
The executive council is to advise the chief executive in [[policy|policy-making]] and the [[administration (government)|administration]] of the government. The chief executive acting after consultation with the executive council is known as '''[[Chief Executive-in-Council|Chief Executive in Council]]'''.<ref>Section 3, Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1).</ref>

Under Article 54 of the [[Hong Kong Basic Law|Basic Law]], the chief executive must consult the executive council before making important policy decisions, introducing [[Bill (proposed law)|bills]] to the [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong|Legislative Council]], making [[delegated legislation]], regulating certain public institutions, or dissolving LegCo. The chief executive in council also hears appeals and objections under certain [[Ordinance (Hong Kong)|Ordinances]].<ref>Section 64, Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1).</ref> A Chief Executive rejecting a majority opinion of the Executive Council is required to put the specific reasons for the rejection on record.

==Composition==

The members of Executive Council are appointed by the Chief Executive from among principal officials (heads of department, informally called "ministers"), members of Legislative Council, and public figures. Their appointment and removal is decided by the chief executive. There is no fixed term of office, but the term of office of members cannot extend beyond the expiry of that of the chief executive who appoints them (Article 55 of the [[Hong Kong Basic Law|Basic Law]]).

The council is presided over by the Chief Executive. In addition to the 21 principal officials there are 16 Non-official members. Other than the Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary and Secretary for Justice, official members only sit in meetings that are related to their portfolio. In accordance with the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance, the members of the Executive Council should take the Oath of Fidelity after his/her appointment and promise not to reveal any matters being discussed in the council. The aim of this principle was to ensure that the members could speak freely without any fears and pressure, so as to facilitate the chief executive to receive prompt and objective advices in the policy making process.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chan|first=F.|year=2021|title=Fragmented Politics in Hong Kong—Analyzing the Pro-democracy Cohesion in the Legislative Council Before 2019|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350740842|journal=East Asia|language=en|volume=38|issue=3|pages=249–269|doi=10.1007/s12140-021-09362-1|issn=1096-6838|pmc=8031336|pmid=33850414}}</ref>

The following list includes all members of the executive council in the [[Hong Kong order of precedence|order of precedence]]: 
*Note: To avoid confusion, all the names on this list follow the Hong Kong convention (English name <if available>, family name, Chinese given name <if available>) for consistency.

{| class="wikitable sortable" font-size:80%; width:100%;"
|-
! Capacity
! class="unsortable" | Portrait
! Member
! colspan="2" |Affiliation 
! Portfolio
! Assumed office
! Born in
! class="unsortable"  | Ref
|-
|President
|[[File:Lee Ka-chiu 20210826.png|90px]]
|{{sortname|John|Lee|dab=government official}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Chief Executive of Hong Kong|Chief Executive]]
|1 July 2022
|1957
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Eric_Chan_Kwok-ki_2023_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Eric|Chan}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Chief Secretary of Hong Kong|Chief Secretary for Administration]]
|1 July 2022
|1959
|
|-
|Official
| [[File:財政司司長陳茂波17.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Paul|Chan|dab=Hong Kong legislator}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Financial Secretary of Hong Kong|Financial Secretary]]
|16 January 2017
|1955
|
|-
|Official
| [[File:Paul Lam 2023.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Paul|Lam}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Justice (Hong Kong)|Secretary for Justice]]
|1 July 2022
|1967/1968
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:卓永興_20230711_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Warner|Cheuk}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration]]
|1 July 2022
|1959
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Michael_Wong_Wai-lun.png|90px]]
|{{sortname|Michael|Wong|Michael Wong Wai-lun}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Deputy Financial Secretary]]
|1 July 2022
|1962
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Horace_Cheung.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Horace|Cheung}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Deputy Secretary for Justice]]
|1 July 2022
|1974
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Erick_Tsang_2021_(cropped).png|90px]]
|{{sortname|Erick|Tsang}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs]]
|20 April 2020
|1963
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Christopher_Hui_20201223_(cropped).png|90px]]
|{{sortname|Christopher|Hui}}
|{{party name with color|DABHK}}
|[[Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury]]
|20 April 2020
|1977
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Tang Ping-keung 20201012.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Chris|Tang}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Security]]
|25 June 2021
|1965
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:謝展寰_20230413_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Tse|Chin-wan}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Environment and Ecology]]
|1 July 2022
|1957/1958
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:丘應樺_20230710_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Algernon|Yau|}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development]]
|1 July 2022
|1958/1959
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Lo Chung-mau in 2019.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Lo|Chung-mau}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Health]]
|1 July 2022
|1960/1961
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:甯漢豪_20230607_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Bernadette|Linn}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Development]]
|1 July 2022
|1963/1964
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:何永賢_20230315_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Winnie|Ho}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Housing]]
|1 July 2022
|1964/1965
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:楊何蓓茵_20230601_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Ingrid|Yeung}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for the Civil Service]]
|1 July 2022
|1964/1965
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Choi Yuk-lin in 2016 (cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Christine|Choi}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Education (Hong Kong)|Secretary for Education]]
|1 July 2022
|1966/1967
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Sun_Dong_20240229_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Dong|Sun}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry]]
|1 July 2022
|1966/1967
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:麥美娟_20230524_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Alice|Mak|dab=politician}}
|{{party name with color|Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions}}
|[[Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs]]
|1 July 2022
|1970
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:孫玉菡_20230419_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Chris|Sun}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Labour and Welfare]]
|1 July 2022
|1971/72
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Inmediahk_-_Mable_Chan_2024_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Mable|Chan}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Transport and Logistics]]
|1 July 2022
|1961/1962
|
|-
|Official
|[[File:Inmediahk_-_Rosanna_Law_2023_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Rosanna|Law}}
|{{party name with color|Nonpartisan politician}}
|[[Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism]]
|1 July 2022
|1963
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Regina Ip 2016.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Regina|Ip}}
|{{party name with color|NPPHK}}
||Non-official Convenor of the Executive Council<br>[[7th Legislative Council of Hong Kong#List of members|Member of the Legislative Council]]<br />Chairperson of [[NPPHK|New People's Party]]
|1 July 2017
|1950
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Arthur Li.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Arthur|Li}}
|{{party name with color|Independent politician}}
|Former Vice Chancellor of [[Chinese University of Hong Kong]]<br/>Member of the committee for the Basic Law of the HKSAR under the [[NPCSC]]
|1 July 2012
|1945
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Professor the Honourable Arthur LI Kwok-cheung, GBS, JP|url=http://www.ceo.gov.hk/exco/eng/arthurli.html|publisher=Executive Council of Hong Kong|access-date=2 May 2013|archive-date=23 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150623162505/http://www.ceo.gov.hk/exco/eng/arthurli.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Jeffrey Lam 20230828 (cropped).jpg|120x120px]]
|{{sortname|Jeffrey|Lam}}
|{{party name with color|Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong}}
|[[6th Legislative Council of Hong Kong#List of members|Member of Legislative Council]]<br />Vice-chairman of [[Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong|BPA]]
|17 October 2012
|1951
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Cheung_Yu-yan_in_2017_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Tommy|Cheung}}
|{{party name with color|LPHK}}
|[[6th Legislative Council of Hong Kong#List of members|Member of Legislative Council]]<br />Chairman of [[LPHK|Liberal Party]]
|25 November 2016
|1949
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Pro-establishment-legislators-vow-to-block-oath (cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Martin|Liao}}
|{{party name with color|Independent}}
|[[6th Legislative Council of Hong Kong#List of members|Member of Legislative Council]]
|25 November 2016
|1957
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Joseph Yam UBS.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Joseph|Yam}}
|{{party name with color|Independent politician}}
|Executive Vice President of the China Society for Finance and Banking
|1 July 2017
|1948
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Ronny Tong 2017.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Ronny|Tong}}
|{{party name with color|Path of Democracy}}
|[[Senior Counsel]]<br />Convenor of [[Path of Democracy]]
|1 July 2017
|1950
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:LAM Ching-choi 打第二劑科興疫苗 20210322 (cropped).png|90px]]
|{{sortname|Lam|Ching-choi||Lam, Ching-choi}}
|{{party name with color|Independent politician}}
|Chairman of the Elderly Commission 
|1 July 2017
|1960
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Kenneth_Lau.png|90px]]
|{{sortname|Kenneth|Lau}}
|{{party name with color|BPAHK}}
|[[6th Legislative Council of Hong Kong#List of members|Member of Legislative Council]]<br />Chairman of [[Heung Yee Kuk]]
|1 July 2017
|1966
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:blanksvg.svg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Moses|Cheng}}
|{{party name with color|Independent politician}}
|Chairman of the council of the [[Hang Seng University of Hong Kong]]<br>Chancellor of the [[Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui]]
|1 July 2022
|1949/1950
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:blanksvg.svg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Margaret|Leung}}
|{{party name with color|Independent politician}}
|Treasurer of the [[University of Hong Kong]]
|1 July 2022
|1952
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Chan Kin-por 2020.png|90px]]
|{{sortname|Chan|Kin-por}}
|{{party name with color|Independent politician}}
|Member of the Legislative Council
|1 July 2022
|1954
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:blanksvg.svg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Eliza|Chan}}
|{{party name with color|Independent politician}}
|Member of the National Committee of [[CPPCC]]
|1 July 2022
|1956/1957
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Ko Wing-man in 2019.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Ko|Wing-man}}
|{{party name with color|Independent politician}}
|Former [[Secretary for Food and Health]]
|1 July 2022
|1957
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Stanley_Ng_20230315_(cropped).jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Stanley|Ng|Ng Chau-pei}}
|{{party name with color|Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions}}
|Member of the Legislative Council
|1 July 2022
|1970
|
|-
|Non-official
|[[File:Chan_Hak-kan_in_2019.jpg|90px]]
|{{sortname|Gary|Chan}}
|{{party name with color|DABHK}}
|Member of the Legislative Council
|1 July 2022
|1976
|
|}

<small>Source</small><ref>[https://www.ceo.gov.hk/exco/eng/membership.html Executive Council - Membership of Executive Council], 1 July 2022</ref>

==List of the past Executive Councils==
* 1896–1941: [[List of Executive Council of Hong Kong unofficial members 1896–1941]]
* 1946–1997: [[List of Executive Council of Hong Kong unofficial members 1946–1997]]
* 1997–2002: [[First term of Tung Chee-hwa as Chief Executive of Hong Kong]]
* 2002–2005: [[Second term of Tung Chee-hwa as Chief Executive of Hong Kong]]
* 2005–2007: [[First term of Donald Tsang as Chief Executive of Hong Kong]]
* 2007–2012: [[Second term of Donald Tsang as Chief Executive of Hong Kong]]
* 2012–2017: [[CY Leung as Chief Executive of Hong Kong]]
* 2017–2022: [[Carrie Lam as Chief Executive of Hong Kong]]

==Location==
The executive council meets in the Lower Block of the [[Central Government Complex (Hong Kong)|Central Government Complex, Tamar]]. Until 2012, ExCo met in the Main Wing of the Central Government Offices on [[Government Hill]], in [[Central, Hong Kong|Central]] and below [[Government House, Hong Kong|Government House]] (former residence of the British [[Governor of Hong Kong]]).

Prior to the [[Handover of Hong Kong|Handover]], the [[Provisional Executive Council of Hong Kong]], headed by [[Tung Chee Hwa]], met in [[Shenzhen]] or Tung's office on the 11th floor of the [[Three Garden Road, Central|Asia Pacific Finance Tower]] in Hong Kong. Members of the outgoing British Hong Kong ExCo were not permitted to attend this body.

Both Executive Council sittings were on Tuesdays.

==See also==
{{portal|Hong Kong}}
* [[Legislative Council of Hong Kong]]
* [[Politics of Hong Kong]]
* [[United Front (China)]]
* [[United Front Work Department]]
* [[Unofficial members of the Hong Kong Executive Council]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.ceo.gov.hk/exco}}

{{Government of Hong Kong}}
{{HKExco}}
{{Hong Kong governments}}{{Province-level local governments of China}}{{Asia topic|Cabinet of|title=National cabinets of Asia}}

[[Category:Executive Council of Hong Kong| ]]
[[Category:Politics of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Cabinets of country subdivisions|Hong Kong Executive Council]]
[[Category:Lists of political office-holders in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Hong Kong]]