Chief Executive (Hong Kong)

Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 香港特別行政區行政長官
Emblem of Hong Kong
Incumbent The Hon Leung Chun-ying since 1 July 2012
Style	The Honourable
Residence	Government House
Nominator	Election Committee
Appointer	Premier of China, Central People's Government
Term length	Five years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	Tung Chee-hwa (1997)
Formation	1 July 1997
Website	ceo.gov.hk

The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Chinese: 香港特別行政區行政長官) is the head and representative of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and head of the Government of Hong Kong. The position was created to replace the Governor of Hong Kong, the representative of the Monarch of the United Kingdom during British rule. The office, stipulated by the Hong Kong Basic Law, formally came into being on 1 July 1997 when the sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China.

The functions of the Chief Executive (CE) include nominating principal officials for appointment by the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China, conducting foreign relations, appointing judges and other public officers, giving consent to legislation passed by the Legislative Council, and bestowing honours. The Basic Law grants the Chief Executive a wide range of powers, but obliges him or her, before making important policy decisions, introducing bills to the Legislative Council, making subsidiary legislation, and dissolving the Legislative Council, to act only after consultation with the Executive Council all of whose members are appointed by the Chief Executive. The Executive Council consists of official and non-official members, including the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, the most senior official and head of the Government Secretariat, in charge of overseeing the administration of the Government.