Carrie Lam

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The Honourable Carrie Lam GBM GBS JP
林鄭月娥
Lam in 2019
4th Chief Executive of Hong Kong
In office 1 July 2017 – 30 June 2022
President	Xi Jinping
Premier	Li Keqiang
Preceded by	Leung Chun-ying
Succeeded by	John Lee Ka-chiu
Chief Secretary for Administration
In office 1 July 2012 – 16 January 2017
Chief Executive	Leung Chun-ying
Preceded by	Stephen Lam
Succeeded by	Matthew Cheung
Secretary for Development
In office 1 July 2007 – 30 June 2012
Chief Executive	Donald Tsang
Preceded by	Sarah Liao (Secretary for Environment, Transport & Works) Michael Suen (Secretary for Housing, Planning & Lands)
Succeeded by	Mak Chai-kwong
Personal details
Born	Cheng Yuet-ngor (1957-05-13) 13 May 1957 (age 67)[1] 229 Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, British Hong Kong[2][3]
Nationality	Hong Konger (1997–present) British (1990–2007)
Spouse	Lam Siu-por ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	2
Education	St. Francis' Canossian College
Alma mater	University of Hong Kong (BA) Wolfson College, Cambridge (UGAD)
Occupation	Politician civil servant
Signature
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	林鄭月娥
Simplified Chinese	林郑月娥
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Lín Zhèng Yuè'é Bopomofo ㄌㄧㄣˊ   ㄓㄥˋ   ㄩㄝˋ   ㄜˊ Wade–Giles Lin2 Cheng4 Yüeh4-ê2 Lin2 Cheng4 Yo4-ê2 Tongyong Pinyin Lín Jhèng Yuè-é IPA [lǐn ʈʂə̂ŋ ɥê.ɤ̌] Hakka Romanization Lìm Chhang Ngie̍t-ngò Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Làhm Jehng Yuht-ngòh Jyutping lam4 zeng6 jyut6 ngo4 IPA [lɐm˩ tsɛːŋ˨ jyːt̚˨ ŋɔː˩] Southern Min Hokkien POJ Lîm Tēn Goa̍t-ngô͘
Carrie Lam's voice Lam announced that she will not participate in the 2022 Hong Kong Chief Executive election Recorded 4 April 2022

Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor GBM GBS JP (née Cheng; Chinese: 林鄭月娥; Cantonese Yale: Làhm Jehng Yuht-ngòh; born 13 May 1957) is a retired Hong Kong politician who served as the fourth Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2017 to 2022,^[4] after serving as Chief Secretary for Administration for five years.

After graduating from the University of Hong Kong, Lam joined the British Hong Kong civil service in 1980 and served in various government agencies, including as Director of Social Welfare from 2000 to 2004 and Director General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London from 2004 to 2006. She became a key official in 2007 when she was appointed Secretary for Development. During her tenure, she earned the nickname "tough fighter" for her role in the controversial demolition of the Queen's Pier in 2008.

Lam became Chief Secretary for Administration under the Leung Chun-ying administration in 2012. From 2013 to 2015 Lam headed the task force on the 2014 electoral reform and held talks with student and opposition leaders during the widespread protests. In the 2017 Chief Executive selection process, Lam obtained 777 votes from the 1,194-member appointed Election Committee as the Beijing-favoured candidate and became the first female Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

Lam's administration had been marred with a series of controversies and thus relatively unpopular since inauguration. Her government was also criticised for raising the qualification age for social security, the proposed cross-harbour tunnel toll plan, and the historic ban on the pro-independence National Party,^[5] among other policies.

In mid-2019, Lam pushed for the controversial extradition bill which received widespread domestic and international opposition. Massive protests broke out and persisted throughout the latter half of the year, from demanding the withdrawal of the bill to Lam's resignation among five key demands. Despite suspending the bill in June and eventually withdrawing the bill in September,^[6][7][8][9] Lam stood firmly against the other demands including an independent inquiry into police conduct and universal suffrage for legislative and leadership elections.^[10] Escalating clashes between protesters and police resulted in at least 10,000 arrests, and would only die down as COVID-19 hit the city. After the pro-government camp suffered a landslide defeat in the 2019 local elections, Lam's popularity further plunged to a record low due to the mishandling of the pandemic.

Lam also saw the Chinese Government imposing the national security law in July 2020, criticised for shrinking freedom in the city and silencing the dissidents. Opposition activists are tried and jailed while pro-democracy media were forced to close. In April 2022, Lam announced that she would not seek a second term as Chief Executive, giving her wish to devote more time with her family as an explanation.^[11] She was succeeded on 1 July 2022 by hardliner John Lee.^[12]