Edward Yau
Edward Yau Tang-wah, GBS, JP (Chinese: 邱騰華; born 28 April 1960, Hong Kong) is the current Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development of Hong Kong. He was the Secretary for the Environment from 2007 to 2012, and from 2012 to 2017, he was the Director of the Chief Executive's Office of Hong Kong.
Edward Yau Tang-wah GBS JP | |
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邱騰華 | |
 Edward Yau introducing the plastic levy in 2009 | |
| Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2017 | |
| Chief Executive | Carrie Lam |
| Preceded by | Gregory So |
| Director, Office of the Chief Executive | |
| In office 1 July 2012 – 30 June 2017 | |
| Chief Executive | Leung Chun-ying |
| Preceded by | Gabriel Leung |
| Succeeded by | Eric Chan |
| Secretary for the Environment | |
| In office 1 July 2007 – 30 June 2012 | |
| Chief Executive | Sir Donald Tsang |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Wong Kam-sing |
| Director of the Information Services | |
| In office 2006–2007 | |
| Preceded by | Yvonne Choi |
| Succeeded by | Fung Ching Suk-yee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 April 1960 British Hong Kong |
| Alma mater | University of Hong Kong Oxford University Harvard University |
| Edward Yau | |||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 邱騰華 | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 邱腾华 | ||||||||||||
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Career
Yau joined the Administrative Service in August 1981 and earned more than 30 years of public administration experience. During his years as a civil servant, he was Deputy Director-General of Trade (later renamed Deputy Director-General of Trade and Industry), Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, and Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower, and Director of Information Services.
Yau was the Secretary for the Environment from 2007 to 2012. His responsibilities covered environmental protection, energy, and sustainable development. Nature conservation was also one of his main tasks and with his efforts, he established the Hong Kong Geopark which showcases the unique geological features in northeast Hong Kong. The Park obtained the UNESCO Global Geopark status in 2011.
From 2012 to 2017, he was the Director of the Chief Executive's Office of Hong Kong, and his responsibilities were to assist the Chief Executive in formulating policies and setting policy goals and priorities; and to maintain close contacts with Executive and Legislative Councillors, political parties as well as the public sector to enlist their support for Government work.
Education
Edward Yau graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 1981, and received further education at Oxford University and Harvard University.
External links
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sarah Liao as Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works |
Secretary for the Environment 2007–2012 |
Succeeded by Wong Kam-sing |
| Preceded by Gabriel Leung |
Director of Chief Executive Office 2012–2017 |
Succeeded by Eric Chan |
| Preceded by Gregory So |
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development 2017–present |
Incumbent |
| Order of precedence | ||
| Previous: Sophia Chan Member of the Executive Council |
Hong Kong order of precedence Member of the Executive Council |
Succeeded by Lam Ching-choi Member of the Executive Council |