Former head of information services named Belt and Road chief

Former Information Services chief Rex Chang Wai-yuen will take up the new post as the Commissioner for Belt and Road from Wednesday, the government announced.

Before that Chang has been serving as director of Information Services since August 2019.

But Chang stepped down from his position at the Information Services Department due to health reasons since October and said he will return to government to work after a "long holiday". Since then, Grace Ng Yee-mei has been the acting director of Information Services.

The government announced Chang's new post on Tuesday. Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen said: “Mr Chang is a seasoned administrative officer with proven leadership and management skills. I have every confidence that he will serve the community with professionalism in his new capacity."

Chang joined the administrative service in July 1989 and rose to the rank of administrative officer staff grade A in April this year.

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 and the Development Bureau.

He was the director of Hong Kong Economic, Trade and Cultural Office (Taiwan) from August 2015 to July 2018 and deputy secretary for education from July 2018 to August 2019, before he became director of Information Services.

The post of Commissioner for Belt and Road have been vacant since October after Chang's predecessor Denis Yip Shing-fai resigned.