Professor The Hon CHEUNG Kin-chung, Matthew GBM, GBS, JP was the Chief Secretary for Administration (CS) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government from January 2017 to June 2021 when he retired after serving Hong Kong for nearly 50 years, making him the longest serving senior official in Hong Kong’s history. During his tenure as CS, he acted as the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on 68 occasions (amounting to 205 days).
Currently, Professor Cheung is Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences at The University of Hong Kong; Honorary Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences at The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Adjunct Professor, Department of Public and International Affairs at The City University of Hong Kong ( CityU ); Adjunct Professor, School of Business and Management at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Honorary Professor, Department of Social Sciences and Policy Studies at The Education University of Hong Kong; Adjunct Professor, Asia-Pacific Institute of Ageing Studies at Lingnan University; International and Professional Advisor, CityU’s Research Centre for Sustainable Hong Kong; Senior Advisor, CityU’s Policy Lab for Hong Kong Talent Development; and Honorary Fellow, Hong Kong Management Association.
Professor Cheung joined Government Information Service (GIS) as an Information Officer in July 1972 after graduating from The University of Hong Kong. During his seven years in GIS, he served briefly in London and was promoted to Senior Information Officer and appointed Overseas Liaison Editor in 1978.
In search of greater challenges and wider opportunities for contributing to Hong Kong’s good governance, he transferred to the Administrative Service in September 1979 and rose to Administrative Officer (AO) Staff Grade A1 in 2004.
Among his earlier AO postings were Assistant District Officer (Eastern); Assistant Private Secretary to the Governor; Secretary, Industry Development Board; District Officer (North); Assistant Director-General of Trade; and Administrative Assistant to the Financial Secretary. As a senior directorate officer, he served as Deputy Judiciary Administrator (1993-95); Deputy Head, Central Policy Unit (1995-96); and Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower (1996-98). He became Commissioner for Labour in 1999; Director of Education in 2000; and Permanent Secretary for Economic Development and Labour in 2002.
He assumed the political office of Secretary for Labour and Welfare from July 2007 to January 2017 when he was appointed CS and served until June 2021.
