2nd July 2020 – (Hong Kong) The Director of of the Chief Executive’s Office, Eric Chan Kwok-ki has been appointed officially as the Secretary-General of the Hong Kong National Security Council.
Commenting on the appointment of Mr Chan, Chief Executive Carrie Lam said, “As the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Mr Chan has had distinguished performance in leading the office. I have no doubt that he is capable of taking up the post of the Secretary-General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR, in addition to his existing post, to lead the Secretariat to support the Committee to fulfil its crucial responsibility to safeguard national security.”
It is stipulated in the National Security Law that a Committee for Safeguarding National Security of the HKSAR chaired by the Chief Executive will be established to take up national security affairs and bear the major responsibility for safeguarding national security. It will be under the supervision of and be accountable to the Central People’s Government. Members of the Committee will include the Chief Secretary for Administration, the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Justice, the Secretary for Security, the Commissioner of Police, the head of the department for safeguarding national security of the Hong Kong Police Force established under Article 16 of the National Security Law, the Director of Immigration, the Commissioner of Customs and Excise and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office. The Secretariat under the Committee is to be headed by the Secretary-General.
The purposes of the National Security Law are to prevent, suppress and punish crimes, namely secession, subversion of state power, organisation and perpetration of terrorist activities, and collusion with foreign or external forces to endanger national security; maintain the prosperity and stability of the HKSAR; and protect the lawful rights and interests of HKSAR residents. The National Security Law was applied by promulgation in the HKSAR on 30th June.
As pointed out by the Chief Executive at the press conference on the National Security Law yesterday, the HKSAR Government will spare no effort in enforcing the law to achieve the legislative objectives, and, in doing so, better the “One Country, Two Systems” institutional system for the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.
Chan studied in CCC Heep Woh College from 1972 to 1976. In 1982, he graduated from Hong Kong Shue Yan College (Now Hong Kong Shue Yan University). During the year of his services, he completed a bachelor’s degree in Law at Tsinghua University.
Chan joined the Immigration Department of Hong Kong as an Assistant Immigration Officer in 1982. In 1989, he was promoted to Immigration Officer, then Senior Immigration Officer in 1995, and Chief Immigration Officer in 2000. By 2003, he was Assistant Principal Immigration Officer, and promoted to Principal Immigration Officer the following year. In 2007, Chan was appointed as Assistant Director of Immigration, then Deputy Director of Immigration in 2010. He was appointed as Director of Immigration in March 2011 succeeding Simon Peh.
Chan was involved in the import restriction imposed on Japanese goods to Hong Kong in aftermath of Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.
In May 2017, Chan was appointed Director of Chief Executive-elect’s Office under Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam. He was appointed Director of Chief Executive’s Office when Lam took office in July 2017.