Erick Tsang

Erick Tsang Kwok-wai GBS IDSM JP (Chinese: 曾國衞; born 1 September 1963) is a Hong Kong politician, serving as Director of Immigration and later Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, one of the principal officials of Hong Kong, since 2020. He oversaw the "patriots-only" elections which recorded historic low turnout, before resigning in 2026 citing health.

Tsang was born in 1963 in British Hong Kong. He graduated from Buddhist Tai Hung College in 1980, and matriculated to New Asia College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1982, graduating in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and communication.

Tsang joined the Immigration Department in 1987 as an Assistant Immigration Officer and rose through the ranks to become Principal Immigration Officer in 2009. He was Assistant Secretary for Security from 2003 to 2006. In 2012, he became Assistant Director of Immigration and then in 2014, Deputy Director of Immigration. In April 2016, he was appointed Director of Immigration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led a team and negotiated the return of Hong Kong passengers stranded on the Diamond Princess.

In an interview with the state media Bauhinia Magazine, a prominently positioned photograph of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping was seen in his office. Tsang denied claims that this is attempted to show his loyalty towards Xi.

In April 2020, the State Council of China appointed Tsang Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, replacing Patrick Nip, days after the department had failed to reflect Beijing's controversially changed position on the status of the Liaison Office under Hong Kong's Basic Law. He is the first constitutional secretary that is not from the Administrative Officer team. His first major mission is to secure the passage of the National Anthem Bill, which was ferociously rejected by the pro-democracy members.

In August 2020, Tsang and ten other officials were sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury under Executive Order 13936 by President Trump for undermining Hong Kong's autonomy. Tsang said he felt "nothing at all. Tsang is also one of the 10 individuals named by the United States Department of State that materially contributed to the failure of the China to meet its obligations under the Sino–British Joint Declaration and Hong Kong's Basic Law.

In September 2020, when pro-democracy organizers planned to hold primaries for the 2020 legislative election, Tsang said that candidates could be in breach of the National Security Law. 47 pro-democracy leaders and activists were later arrested for subversion, known as Hong Kong 47. Tsang said that they had to pay the price for "crossing the red line" by organizing primaries for the Legislative Council.

In 2021, Tsang said district councillors will be required to take an oath to pledge loyalty to the government under the National Security Law, adding that "You cannot say that you are patriotic but you do not love the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party or you do not respect it - this does not make sense." Opposition decried the new requirement as to crushing dissent. The bill was introduced in March 2021; Tsang stated that he would like it "passed as soon as possible."