Dark-horse Eric Chan tipped to be next CS

Eric Chan Kwok-ki, director of the Chief Executive's Office, is tipped to be the No 2 official in the cabinet of incoming Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, sources say.

The dark horse is a surprise as Chan is regarded as one of the top aides of outgoing Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor but is not among the current administration's principal officials.

The position of Chief Secretary for Administration has been left vacant since Lee resigned in April to join the chief executive race, while duties were shared among Lam and other officials.

Among those duties, Chan was assigned to attend the weekly meeting with the chairman and vice chairman of the Legislative Council's house committee from April 11.

As Lam's right-hand man, Chan frequently accompanied her on her duty trips to President Xi Jinping, met other Beijing officials and took part in the opening ceremony of the National People's Congress.

Chan's name has already been floated in the business circle alongside the former secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs, Raymond Tam Chi-yuen, but the favorites have been the incumbent Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, and the Secretary for Security, Chris Tang Ping-keung.

Chan, 63, served as director of immigration between 2011 and 2016, during which he developed contacts with mainland officials.

He was appointed director of the Chief Executive's Office a year after his retirement in 2017, and secretary-general of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security of Hong Kong in 2020.

Sources also told Sing Tao Daily, The Standard's sister paper, that the Secretary for Development, Michael Wong Wai-lun, will take up a newly added position in Lee's government restructure plan as deputy financial secretary.

After the government restructure, both policy bureaus responsible for land and housing will be overseen by the financial secretary, and the deputy financial secretary will be tasked with coordinating land and housing policies.

Wong has been overwhelmingly tipped for the position within the government as he is familiar with land policies as the secretary for development, while maintaining close cooperation with the Transport and Housing Bureau.

Wong's position as development secretary is likely to be taken up by the current Permanent Secretary for Development, Bernadette Linn Hon-ho, due to her performance, ability to communicate and emotional intelligence.

Sources said Linn will be a good fit under Wong, as their chemistry in their previous positions can allow them to closely cooperate in dealing with the land and housing shortage in Hong Kong.