Retired civil servant Janice Tse Siu-wa has been appointed the new secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, with her top priority being the formulation of Hong Kong's first five-year plan.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said on Monday that he had nominated the 61-year-old Tse to the State Council because of her strong passion for the five-year plan and capability, stemming from her 38 years of working for the government.
"The first local five-year plan must be formulated within this year; the time is tight, while the workload is heavy," he said.
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"I found secretary Tse the best candidate because she has a solid foundation for communication and cooperation across different bureaus following many years of working in the government, and has built a good network with the Legislative Council and different sectors of society ... I am confident she can help yield twice the result with half the effort."
Lee added that Tse also participated in the implementation of the nation's 14th five-year plan, covering 2021 to 2025, while serving as the director of home affairs and then as permanent secretary for environment and ecology.
Tse, who retired in January last year, said she had been carefully watching developments in the city because her "heart is closely attached to Hong Kong".
"The top priority of the bureau is the preparation and formulation of Hong Kong's first five-year plan. This is very important for future social and economic development," Tse said.
"In my previous roles, I maintained contact with mainland authorities on different policies, ranging from innovation to environmental protection. Exchanges with the mainland are nothing unusual to me."
She added that her administrative experience within the government and relationships with Legco and various sectors of society would help authorities gather opinions and formulate the plan swiftly.
Asked why she felt capable of the role after the Environment and Ecology Bureau failed to implement a municipal solid waste-charging scheme in 2024, she did not address the question but instead reiterated her commitment and abilities.
Tse has been dubbed the "queen of properties" by the media for having 18 property titles under her name.
Asked whether that would affect public confidence in her, Tse said the government had a transparent interest declaration mechanism and she would continue to disclose her interests accordingly.
Tse's appointment was announced two months after the resignation of Erick Tsang Kwok-wai in January, who cited poor health, including elevated prostate cancer markers in his blood, as the reason for stepping down.
Tsang joined the Immigration Department in 1987 as an assistant immigration officer, rising to director of immigration in 2016.
He was appointed secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs in 2020 and was among government senior officials sanctioned by Washington over the national security legislation.
During his tenure, he oversaw the "patriots-only" Legco election in 2021, which resulted in a post-handover record low turnout rate of 30.2 per cent, some 28 percentage points lower than the 2016 poll. The 2025 election recorded a 31.9 per cent turnout rate with the government's all-out promotional efforts.
Tse joined the government in June 1987. She served in the executive officer and labour officer grades before joining the administrative service in June 1988, rising to the rank of administrative officer staff grade A1 in April 2023.
She served in various departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration and the former Constitutional Affairs Branch. She was director of home affairs in 2016. She was appointed permanent secretary for the environment in 2022.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said the appointment meant the bureau was well-staffed and had the capacity to commit fully to the work.
"The most critical priority now is that the chief executive and the top officials map out the future development paths and key policies of Hong Kong, which should align seamlessly with and serve the national development strategies," Lau said.
"The bureau should maintain close communication and exchanges with mainland authorities accordingly, while performing the essential role of internal coordination across various policy bureaus."
The national 15th five-year plan tasks Hong Kong with consolidating its traditional strengths, such as enhancing its role as an international financial hub and strengthening its offshore renminbi market, while building new economic engines such as commodity trading and supply chain services.
Separately, the government announced that Commissioner for Transport Angela Lee Chung-yan would be promoted to permanent secretary for commerce and economic development next month.
Lee had been tipped to become the permanent secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, but the post was filled by Maggie Wong Siu-chu in February. Wong previously served in the equivalent role at the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau.
Transport authorities came under scrutiny in January when they were forced to repeal an unpopular law requiring passengers aboard public buses to wear seat belts shortly after it came into force.
Meanwhile in Beijng, Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, received newly appointed advisers and editorial board members of the journal Hong Kong and Macau Studies.
Among the attendees were Peking University law school professor Rao Geping, Han Dayuan of Renmin University of China law school, Wang Zhenmin of Tsinghua University's law school and Cheung Chi-kong, executive director of the Hong Kong-based think-tank One Country Two Systems Research Institute.
Additional reporting by Ng Kang-chung
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