Anson Chan
As Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region Government, Mrs Anson Chan is principal adviser to the Chief Executive
and heads the 190,000-strong civil service in Hong Kong. She was appointed
Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong Government in November 1993, the first Chinese
and the first woman to hold the position after 150 years of British incumbents.
The Chief Secretary for Administration ranks second to the Chief Executive,
and Mrs Chan advises him on matters of policy, deputises for him during his absence
and is responsible for the effective implementation of the full range of Government
policies. She is the Senior Official Member of the Executive Council, the highest
policy-making body in Hong Kong. Mrs Chan is a career public servant. She
joined the Hong Kong Government as an Administrative Officer in 1962. She has
held many senior positions in the Administration dealing with finance, the economy,
commerce, industry and social services. She has been Director of Social Welfare
and Secretary for the Civil Service. Mrs Chan was Secretary for Economic
Services between 1987 and 1993, a Cabinet-level post which gave her responsibilities
for overseeing the development of Hong Kong's physical infrastructure, including
ambitious port and airport facilities, the liberalisation of Hong Kong's telecommunications
market, tourism, energy, food supplies and the monitoring of public utility companies.
Mrs Chan was born in Shanghai in 1940. She moved with her family in 1948
to Hong Kong, where she received her education. She graduated from the University
of Hong Kong with a BA(Hons) in English and English Literature. Mrs Chan
was made an official Justice of the Peace in 1975. She was made a Commander of
the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 1992 and holds honorary degrees
from Tufts University, the University of Hong Kong and the University of Liverpool.
Mrs Chan is married to Mr Archibald Chan Tai Wing, a Director of Caltex
Oil (HK) Limited. They have a daughter, a son and two grand-daughters. | 
