Government Announces Key Senior Appointments Ahead of Upcoming Retirements

Government announces senior appointments

The Government announced today (June 15) the following senior appointments:

(a) Ms Maisie Chan Kit-ling, ex-Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, will take up the post of Director-General of Communications on July 2, 2026, to succeed Mr Chaucer Leung Chung-yin on retirement;

(b) Mr Albert Yuen Yuk-kin will take up the appointment as Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene on June 16, 2026, vice Mr Donald Ng Man-kit, following an open-cum-in-service recruitment exercise;

(c) Ms Ann Chan Wai-yan, Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury), will take up the post of Commissioner for Tourism on June 25, 2026; and

(d) Mr Arsene Yiu Kai-cheuk, Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Environmental Hygiene), will take up the post of Director, Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing (Beijing Office) on June 29, 2026, to succeed Mr Rex Chang Wai-yuen on retirement.

Regarding the appointments of Ms Maisie Chan, Ms Ann Chan and Mr Arsene Yiu, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said, "The appointees are seasoned Administrative Officers with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that they will continue to serve the community with professionalism in their new posts."

Commenting on the appointment of Mr Yuen, Mrs Yeung said, "Mr Yuen has extensive experience in public administration and law enforcement, and possesses outstanding leadership and management capabilities. I am confident that under his leadership, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will continue with its reforms to provide public services, perform regulatory functions and meet future challenges with innovation and excellence."

Turning to the retirement of the two senior officials, Mrs Yeung thanked them for each rendering over 30 years of loyal and dedicated service to the community and making significant contributions to the Government. She wished them a fulfilling and happy retirement.

On the retirement of Mr Chang, Mrs Yeung said, "During his tenure as Director, Beijing Office, Mr Chang oversaw the smooth operation of the Beijing Office as well as the two liaison units in Liaoning and Tianjin. He led major efforts to promote Hong Kong's unique strengths under 'one country, two systems' and co-operation with major provinces and municipalities, thereby contributing to our integration into the national development strategy."

Turning to Mr Leung, Mrs Yeung said, "During his tenure as Director-General of Communications, he provided strong leadership in ensuring the robust regulation and development of telecommunications and broadcasting industries in Hong Kong. He spearheaded a whole host of policy initiatives to promote the development of advanced communications technologies and infrastructure, ensuring that world-class communications services were in place to meet the challenges of the information age and underpin Hong Kong's status as a leading telecommunications and broadcasting hub in the region and beyond."

Brief biographical notes of the six officers are set out below:

Mr Rex Chang Wai-yuen

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Mr Chang joined the Administrative Service in July 1989 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2021. He has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former City and New Territories Administration, the former Security Branch, the former Finance Branch, the former Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Singapore, the Trade and Industry Department, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, the Development Bureau, the Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office, and the Education Bureau. He was Director of Information Services from August 2019 to December 2021, Commissioner for Belt and Road from December 2021 to November 2022, and served as Director, Beijing Office from December 2022 to March 2026.

Mr Chaucer Leung Chung-yin

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Mr Leung joined the Government as Telecommunications Engineer in April 1997. He was promoted to Chief Telecommunications Engineer in July 2009, to Assistant Director of Telecommunications in November 2012, and to Deputy Director-General of Telecommunications in May 2016. He served as the Director-General of Communications cum Director of Film, Newspaper and Article Administration from July 2019 to April 2026.

Ms Maisie Chan Kit-ling

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Ms Chan joined the Administrative Service in July 1994 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade A in April 2025. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the former Constitutional Affairs Branch, the Home Affairs Department, the former Trade Department, the former Finance Bureau (later renamed as Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau), the former Education and Manpower Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau and the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link Independent Expert Panel. She was Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Environmental Hygiene) from January 2015 to July 2018, Deputy Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs from July 2018 to July 2023, and Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area from July 2023 to January 2026.

Mr Albert Yuen Yuk-kin

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Mr Yuen joined the Government in 1986 and had served in various positions in the Police Force. He served as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) between August 2021 and August 2023, and was appointed as Advisor in the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department for one year in November 2023. In February 2026, the Environment and Ecology Bureau conducted an open-cum-in-service recruitment exercise for the post of Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene. Following the established selection process, Mr Yuen has been identified as the most suitable candidate. The Government appointed Mr Yuen as the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene under civil service appointment terms, with effect from June 16.

Ms Ann Chan Wai-yan

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Ms Chan joined the Administrative Service in June 1997 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B1 in April 2025. She has served in various bureaux and departments, including the Financial Secretary's Office, the Housing Bureau, the Civil Service Bureau, the former Constitutional Affairs Bureau, the former Education and Manpower Bureau, the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office, the former Home Affairs Bureau, the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the former Transport and Housing Bureau. She was Coordinator (Policy Address) of the former Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office from July to November 2020, Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service from December 2020 to July 2024, and has been serving as Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury) since August 2024.

Mr Arsene Yiu Kai-cheuk

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Mr Yiu joined the Administrative Service in September 2001 and rose to the rank of Administrative Officer Staff Grade B in April 2024. He has served in various bureaux and departments, including the Housing Bureau, the Security Bureau, the former Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Geneva, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Development Bureau, the Office of the Chief Executive-elect and the Chief Executive's Office. He was Principal Assistant Secretary for Food and Health (Food) from February to April 2022, Assistant Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Market Special Duties) from April to August 2022, and has been serving as Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Environmental Hygiene) since August 2022.

Mr Arsene Yiu Kai-cheuk, Deputy Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (Environmental Hygiene), will take up the post of Director, Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing on June 29, 2026. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ms Ann Chan Wai-yan, Deputy Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Treasury), will take up the post of Commissioner for Tourism on June 25, 2026. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mr Albert Yuen Yuk-kin will take up the appointment as Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene on June 16, 2026. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Ms Maisie Chan Kit-ling, ex-Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, will take up the post of Director-General of Communications on July 2, 2026. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mr Chaucer Leung Chung-yin served as Director-General of Communications before his retirement. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Mr Rex Chang Wai-yuen served as Director, Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing before his retirement. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Speech by SJ at PCPD 30th Anniversary Privacy Protection Summit

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the PCPD 30th Anniversary Privacy Protection Summit today (June 16):

Commissioner Chung (Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Ms Ada Chung), Deputy Commissioner Li of the OCMFA (Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Mr Li Yongsheng), Director Liu of the LOCPG (Director-General of the Department of Law of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr Liu Chunhua), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

A very good morning. It is my great pleasure to join you today for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data(PCPD)'s 30th Anniversary Privacy Protection Summit.

The Summit, an open session of the 65th Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum, brings together some 400 privacy regulators, data-protection experts, industry leaders and academics from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and the Asia-Pacific region. You're here to share perspectives on privacy protection, at a time when digital transformation and artificial intelligence are reshaping societies and economies around the world.

Hong Kong, a key regional hub for the free and orderly flow of information, data, and technology, has a long tradition of rigorously upholding privacy standards.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data was established in 1996 as an independent privacy authority - the earliest of its kind in Asia. Over the past three decades, it has served as a steadfast guardian of personal data privacy. Through concerted enforcement and practical compliance guidance, it has created a privacy-conscious culture in Hong Kong.

Today, in the dawning of the age of artificial intelligence, we continue to ensure that AI is, as mentioned in the Chief Executive's latest Policy Address, "steered by safety and driven by application."

The Hong Kong Artificial Intelligence Research and Development Institute, which comes into full operation later this year, will drive our innovative AI research and development, as well as its industrial applications.

No less important, it will establish AI standards, building cross-sector and inter-regional AI collaboration platforms to promote AI's standardisation and safe application. The HKSAR Government is, in short, determined to promote the safe and ethical use of AI.

And, as Ada just mentioned, the Hong Kong International Data Privacy Academy officially opens today. The Academy will provide data protection training programmes for organisations, privacy-protection practitioners and others in Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and around the world.

The National 15th Five-Year Plan puts a central priority on accelerating innovation. Its Digital China Initiative is designed to empower economic and social progress through digital and intelligent technologies and the expansion of AI+ applications.

But the Plan is also committed to combating data misuse, deep fakes and privacy leaks. It emphasises the importance of privacy protection and cross-border law enforcement co-operation.

As announced by the Chief Executive recently, Hong Kong will unveil its First Five-Year Plan later this year. It will align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, driving Hong Kong's deeper integration into the overall national development.

The theme of this Summit, "Protecting Privacy, Embracing Innovation", smartly captures the vision and goals of the HKSAR Government and our country. Hong Kong is fast emerging as a smart city, powered by emerging technologies, AI very much included.

Over the years, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has performed not only as a regulator, but also as an enabler of responsible innovation.

Public confidence in the privacy and security of new technologies is crucial to their adoption. And the work of the Office is pivotal in instilling public confidence that technology can - and must - be used in an ethical and meaningful way.

The HKSAR Government is committed to supporting the Office as Hong Kong's trusted privacy regulator, and to ensuring it has all the necessary means to rise above the globalised reality of privacy threats.

Of course, no jurisdiction can tackle these challenges alone. Collaboration is essential. It's through events such as this Summit, and the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities Forum which it is part of, that partnerships are created, best practices exchanged, and emerging trends in privacy regulation addressed.

Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you all a very rewarding Summit and a productive Forum.

And my congratulations, once again, to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, on its landmark 30th anniversary.

Thank you very much.

The Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, Photo source: reference image