Erick Tsang resigns following a tenure with electoral reforms and challenges

Erick Tsang Kwok-wai has resigned as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs due to health reasons after a five-year tenure marked by significant electoral reforms and challenges such as United States government sanctions and legislative veto in recognizing same-sex partnerships. 

Tsang joined the Immigration Department as an Assistant Immigration Officer in 1987. He was promoted to Immigration Officer in 1991, Senior Immigration Officer in 2000, Chief Immigration Officer in 2004, and Assistant Principal Immigration Officer in 2007. He rose to Assistant Director of Immigration in 2012, Deputy Director of Immigration in 2014, and Director of Immigration in 2016.

While serving as the Director of Immigration, a COVID-19 outbreak occurred on the Diamond Princess cruise in Yokohama, Japan, leaving 369 Hong Kong residents stranded under mandatory quarantine on board. Among them, 70 tested positive for the virus, 31 close contacts were quarantined on land, and 193 returned to Hong Kong on government charter flights. 

Tsang personally led a team to Japan to negotiate the return, describing the mission as the most challenging of his 30-year career.

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On August 7, 2020, the United States imposed sanctions against 11 Chinese and Hong Kong officials it deemed to have undermined Hong Kong’s autonomy, including then-Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Tsang. 

Tsang responded that the sanctions had no substantial impact on him and that he felt “nothing at all,” criticizing the US move as self-deceptive. He noted that he had no assets in the US, no children studying there, and no plans to visit. 

Tsang is the first Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs to come from the disciplined forces. During his tenure, the seventh Legislative Council Election in 2021 and the eighth Legislative Council Election in 2025 were held under the improved electoral system. 

The turnout rate for the seventh election was 30.2 percent, about 28 percent lower than that of the 2016 LegCo Election and the lowest in the geographical constituencies since the handover. 

The eighth election saw a 31.9 percent turnout rate for geographical constituencies, 1.7 percentage points increase over the previous term, with over 1.31 million voters casting their ballots.

The Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office praised the election process as secure, smooth, and successful, noting that turnout rates surpassed previous elections, reflecting the public’s high attention, positive recognition and enthusiastic support for the poll. 

Despite these successes, Tsang also faced challenges in his term. In the 2023 District Council Election, a malfunction in the Electronic Poll Register system on polling day caused delays in ballot issuance and extended voting hours. Tsang later acknowledged the inconvenience caused to voters and committed to improving future procedures. 

In 2025, the government tabled the Registration of Same-sex Partnerships Bill, aiming to establish a legal framework for same-sex partnerships to comply with a Court of Final Appeal ruling. 

However, the bill encountered cross-party opposition and was rejected by a wide margin in the Legislative Council, with a vote of 71 against, 14 in favor and 1 abstention, becoming the first government bill vetoed in that legislative term.

Tsang expressed disappointment at the time, but insisted the veto would not undermine the rule of law, adding that the government had no plan to apply for a court extension given the lack of consensus. 

In 2022, Tsang was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star, recognizing his over 35 years of dedicated service to the Hong Kong government and residents, especially during his leadership of the Immigration Department and his role as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.