Appointment of Under Secretaries and Political Assistants
1.7.2022

The Chief Executive's Office announced today (July 1) that the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, has appointed four Under Secretaries and two Political Assistants of the sixth term of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Newly appointed Under Secretaries and Political Assistants are: Under Secretaries Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan Pak-li Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan Ho-lim Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Ho Kai-ming Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Clement Woo Kin-man Political Assistants Political Assistant to the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Julian Ip Chun-lim Political Assistant to the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Gordon Cheung Chun-lok They will assume office today. Mr Lee today swore in the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip, as well as the Under-Secretaries and Political Assistants mentioned above. The Government will announce the appointments of the remaining Under Secretaries and Political Assistants separately. Mr Lee said, "I am very pleased to see that people with aspirations, capabilities and commitment continue to serve in the team of politically appointed officials, making further contributions to Hong Kong and the country. I believe that they will spare no effort in assisting the Secretaries to liaise extensively with various sectors of the community and achieve effective governance. Together, we will start a new chapter for Hong Kong." Following are biographical notes on the new appointees: Dr Bernard Chan Pak-li ------------------------- Aged 45, Dr Chan has been Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development since 2017. Before joining the Government, Dr Chan spent about 10 years working in the technology sector, gaining experience in intellectual property trading and crossover collaboration. Dr Chan served as a member of the Kwun Tong District Council from 2008 to 2013, and Political Assistant to the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development from 2013 to 2017. Dr Chan holds a bachelor degree in electrical engineering and a PhD degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University in the United States. Mr Joseph Chan Ho-lim -------------------------- Aged 45, Mr Chan has been Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury since 2017. Mr Chan has many years of senior executive experience in the banking industry. He was a Managing Director in the Global Markets Division of Credit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank, and was a Managing Director in Financial Markets of Standard Chartered Bank. Before joining the Government, Mr Chan had served in a number of industry bodies, including as Vice President of the Hong Kong Society of Financial Analysts, Director of Hong Kong Securities and Investment Institute, Advisor of the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society, as well as a General Committee member of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. He was elected to the Central and Western District Council in 2012 and 2016. Mr Chan is a member of the Liberal Party. Mr Chan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Hon) and Psychology from the University of Michigan in the United States. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. Mr Ho Kai-ming ----------------- Aged 37, Mr Ho has been Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare since 2020. Mr Ho had served as Council Member of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Director-General of the Hong Kong Manufacturing Industry Employees General Union, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Hong Kong Clerical and Professional Employees General Union. Prior to joining the Government, Mr Ho was a member of the Legislative Council, and of the Kwun Tong District Council from 2012 to 2019. He is a member of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions. Mr Ho holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Mr Clement Woo Kin-man ----------------------------- Aged 54, Mr Woo has been Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs since 2021. Mr Woo has ample experience in running manufacturing, trade and investment companies locally, in the Mainland and abroad. He was a member of the Tai Po District Council from 2016 to 2019 and has been dedicated to community and youth services over the years. He participated in various government statutory and advisory bodies including the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education, the Family Council and the Basic Law Promotion Steering Committee, and served as an auxiliary police officer before. He holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from Imperial College London and an Executive Master of Public Administration degree from Tsinghua University. He is a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Mr Julian Ip Chun-lim ------------------------ Aged 30, Mr Ip has been Political Assistant to the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury since 2020. Mr Ip was a Senior Manager of OneConnect Financial Technology (an associate of Ping An Group) before joining the Government. He worked in the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited from 2013 to 2018 and was promoted to Assistant Vice President. He is a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong. Mr Ip holds a Bachelor of Economics and Finance degree from the University of Hong Kong. Mr Gordon Cheung Chun-lok -------------------------------- Aged 31, Mr Cheung has been Political Assistant to the Secretary for Home Affairs since 2021. Mr Cheung is a member of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and a member of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies. Mr Cheung holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, as well as a Master of Science degree in Professional Accounting and Corporate Governance from the City University of Hong Kong. Ends/Friday, July 1, 2022 Issued at HKT 16:30 NNNN