(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-21 00:11

HONG KONG  -- Donald Tsang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), appointed Tuesday eight under secretaries to bolster the strength and capacity of the HKSAR government's team of political appointees under the political appointment system.

"The appointments mark a key milestone in Hong Kong's development of its political appointment system," Tsang said.

The under secretaries are appointed under the political appointment system on non-civil service terms for the period ending June 30, 2012.

At the rank of bureau deputy directors of the HKSAR government, the new under secretaries are drawn from the finance, legal and medical professions, as well as academia and the media.

"As the political appointment of under secretaries and political assistants is a new arrangement, there is bound to be a period of transition. However, I am confident that they will work closely as a team with the bureau secretaries and our highly professional civil servants in serving Hong Kong," Tsang said.

The process for appointing additional political appointees is still underway. The Government will make further announcements on the remaining posts of under secretaries and political assistants in due course, he said.

The eight new appointees include Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So, Under Secretary for Education Kenneth Chen and Under Secretary for the Environment Dr. Kitty Poon.