Who is the first woman to hold Hong Kong’s top post?

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On March 26, former Hong Kong Chief Secretary Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor won the election of the chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) after receiving 777 votes from a 1,194-strong committee.

She will take the oath of office on July 1 to become the city’s fourth chief executive, and the first woman to hold Hong Kong’s top post.

Hong Kong's chief executive-elect Carrie Lam speaks during a press conference with Chief Executive CY Leung in Hong Kong on March 27, 2017, a day after Lam won the Hong Kong chief executive election. /VCG Photo

A veteran politician

The 59-year-old has served in the Hong Kong government for over 36 years, starting 1980. From an administrative officer, Lam occupied over 20 different posts in a host of sectors, from health to finance and social welfare.

When SARS broke out in Hong Kong in 2003, Lam, then Director of Social Welfare Department Hong Kong SAR, set up the “We Care Education Fund” for young people whose families had been seriously affected by the epidemic. The foundation collected over 10 million US dollars in just three months.

A popular ‘tough fighter’

Her handling of the demolition of the Queen’s Pier in 2007 was behind Lam’s reputation as a “tough fighter” – a skillful and resolute problem solver. Through face-to-face conversation, the then Secretary for Development Bureau convinced the protesters, who had gone on a hunger strike, that the demolition would be in favor of further economic development in Hong Kong.

The Queen’s Pier/Wen Wei Po Photo

With a support rate of 73.8 percent, she entered the administration of now outgoing Chief Executive CY Leung in 2012 to serve as the Chief Secretary for Administration.

Hong Kong Chief Executive CY Leung (R) speaks to Chief Secretary for Administration Carrie Lam (L) at a press conference in Hong Kong on November 7, 2016./VCG Photo

One of the thorniest issues during her tenure was the Occupy Central incident in 2014 when demonstrators staged protests calling for so-called "real universal suffrage". The incident brought the city to a standstill.

Pro-Beijing demonstrators shout slogans and wave flags outside the Hong Kong Legislative Council on November 13, 2016, during a rally in support of an interpretation of the city's constitution - the Basic Law - by China's National People's Congress Standing Committee. /VCG Photo

During the 75-day chaos, Lam embodied Hong Kong’s strong resolution to safeguard the “One country, Two systems” principle and Hong Kong’s Basic Law.

“Democracy in any country in the world is built on a constitutional basis. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China. Its democratic election system must comply in full with the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and the Basic Law of Hong Kong.” she said.

New role, new tasks

The role of Hong Kong SAR’s Chief Executive should be an “effective bridge” between Hong Kong and the central government, Lam said during an interview with CGTN.

Mending social rifts is her priority as the region’s most senior official.

“Hong Kong, our home, is suffering from quite a lot of divisiveness,” Lam said in a speech after her March victory, “The first thing I will do is to repair our divided society so we can move forward together.”

Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's chief executive-elect (center) speaks as her husband Lam Siu-por looks on during a news conference following the chief executive election in Hong Kong, China, on March 26, 2017./VCG Photo

Other pressing issues people in Hong Kong care about, such as education and economic growth, also top Lam’s agenda over the next five years.

At a press conference after winning the election, Lam vowed to implement her declaration of candidacy, including providing more affordable housing by expanding land supply, increasing education spending by 640 million US dollars and reducing tax burdens of SMEs.

“Hong Kong SAR has to adopt new roles, in addition to the provider of public service or regulator, it should play the role of facilitator and enabler – to make things happen,” Lam told CGTN.

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