China's State Council has appointed Xie Xiaohua as the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs in Hong Kong, making her the first woman to hold this position.
According to Xinhua News Agency, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, and based on the nomination by Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, the State Council has decided to appoint Xie Xiaohua as the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.
Since the establishment of the “Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau” in 2007, public records show that the position of Secretary has always been held by men, and this is the first time that a woman is at the helm.
Public information shows that Xie Xiaohua was born in 1965, graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, later obtained an LLB from the University of London, and studied public administration at Oxford University. She joined the Hong Kong government in the 1980s and has held positions such as Director of Home Affairs Department and Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), among others.
Public information shows that Xie Xiaohua was born in 1965, graduated from the University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, later obtained an LLB from the University of London, and studied public administration at Oxford University. She joined the Hong Kong government in the 1980s and has held positions such as Director of Home Affairs Department and Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Environment), among others.
Prior to this appointment, Xie Xiaohua was the Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology, and also concurrently served as Director of the Environmental Protection Department.
According to a previous report by Hong Kong Economic Journal, when the John Lee administration took office, she was the senior official owning the most properties with 18, even more than Matthew Cheung who was dubbed the “Property King”, and for this reason she is referred to as the “Property Queen”.