Donald Tsang

Who is Donald Tsang?

Donald Tsang Yam-kuen GBM, KBE was the second Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012.

Tsang began his civil service career in 1967, occupying various positions in finance and trade in the Hong Kong Civil Service, and was appointed Financial Secretary of Hong Kong in 1995, becoming the first ethnic Hong Konger to hold the position under British administration. He remained in that position after the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong before being appointed Chief Secretary for Administration after the resignation of Anson Chan. Tsang was praised for his handling of the Hong Kong economy both as Chief Executive in the mid-2000s and as Financial Secretary in the late 1990s. Tsang was made a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in June 1997 hours before the handover.

He assumed the office of Chief Executive of Hong Kong in 2005. After his appointment, he was criticised for the government's mishandling of a number of incidents, most notably the demolition of Queen's Pier, Political Appointments System, the Leung Chin-man appointment controversy, and the Employee Retraining Levy waiver controversy.