Chief Executive of Hong Kong Chief Executive of Hong Kong The Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is the 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
Consular missions in Hong Kong transfer of sovereignty, North Korea, which had not been allowed to establish a trade mission in Hong Kong during British rule, was able to open a Consulate-General in February 2000. Similarly, Iran was also able to re-establish its Consulate-General, giving rise to concerns that the country could gain access to arms smuggled through Hong Kong, a free port. This had been closed by the British Government in 1989 following the Rushdie Affair. Bhutan, which did not have diplomatic relations with either Beijing or Taipei at the time of the transfer of sovereignty, was able to maintain an honorary consulate in