Former Hong Kong police spokesman John Tse set for top government media role

A Hong Kong police chief superintendent turned public relations adviser will lead the government’s Information Services Department, becoming the first non-administrative officer to take up the post.

John Tse Chun-chung, who has served as the government’s information coordinator since 2024, is expected to take up the post on a three-year contract on Tuesday.

Tse, 49, joined the force in 1999. He became a well-known face during the 2019 anti-government protests, when he led the police’s daily press conferences while still a chief superintendent.

He left the force in 2022 and served as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s communications secretary before becoming information coordinator in June 2024.

Announcing the appointment on Monday, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan commended Tse for his extensive experience in public administration, outstanding leadership and skill in handling the media and public relations.

“I am confident that under his leadership, the Information Services Department will strive to promote public understanding of government policies and positions, and tell the world about the good stories of Hong Kong,” Yeung said.

The government’s press release announcing the appointment noted Tse had served in various positions “both at frontline department and policy bureau” without mentioning his police background.

Instead of relying on internal promotion, the government announced in February an open recruitment exercise for two director-level positions, marking the first time it had invited applications for the posts of director of information services and director of food and environmental hygiene.

The two positions offer monthly salaries of HK$287,990 to HK$296,535 (US$36,850 to US$37,940).

An insider said the recruitment attracted keen competition, with about a dozen candidates applying for the job.

Sources also said there would be no replacement for the information coordinator position for the remainder of this term of the administration.

According to the advertisement, the director of information services should have a strong understanding of the media sector and a proven track record in handling public relations, as well as demonstrate strong intellectual capacity, political sensitivity, interpersonal and communication skills, strategic thinking and leadership.

The director will report to the permanent secretary for home and youth affairs, providing professional public relations advice and promoting government policies and services with a view to projecting an accurate image of Hong Kong locally and internationally.

The former director, Apollonia Liu Lee Ho-kei, was recently promoted to permanent secretary for security.

Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said the new head of the Information Services Department should engage more proactively with foreign media, despite their “persistent bias against Hong Kong”.

“The department should encourage correspondents stationed in Hong Kong to gain a deeper understanding of the city. It is still worth doing so, even if the impact may not be significant,” Lau said, adding the government could also enlist experts, scholars and local journalists to communicate with them.

“The government needs to build good relationships and foster trust with them, so they can better understand the authorities’ thinking.”

Lau also stressed that the department should improve its ability to gauge public sentiment and respond swiftly to government missteps.

He added that it must move beyond the traditional approach of simply issuing “lines to take” and instead work more closely with the media and key opinion leaders to convey government messages more effectively. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST