May 17, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Hong Kong’s chief executive Donald Tsang continues to be highly popular, according to a poll by the Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme. The support rating for Tsang stands at 64.8 points, practically unchanged since mid-April.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Hong Kong’s chief executive Donald Tsang continues to be highly popular, according to a poll by the Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme. The support rating for Tsang stands at 64.8 points, practically unchanged since mid-April.

In June 2005, Tsang was elected unopposed by an 800-member committee to serve as Hong Kong’s chief executive for two years. Tsang had substituted Tung Chee-hwa on an interim basis. In March 2007, Tsang won a full four-year term as chief executive, defeating Alan Leong with 649 votes to 123.

China took control of Hong Kong from Britain in July 1997. As part of the "one country, two systems" arrangement proposed by Deng Xiaoping, China must allow Hong Kong to be sovereign in all matters—except national security and foreign affairs—until 2047.

Hong Kong’s Basic Law sets no specific timetable for a democratically elected government. In September 2004, Hong Kong’s 3.2 million registered voters chose 30 members to the 60-seat Legislative Council. The representatives monitor the performance of the government, and play a role in enacting laws, as well as examining and approving budgets.

In December 2007, the Chinese government decided that the people of Hong Kong will not be able to directly elect the territory’s chief executive until 2017, and the entire Legislative Council until 2020. Democratic movements in Hong Kong—who had proposed to have direct elections by 2012—protested against Beijing’s ruling.

On May 12, China’s Sichuan province was hit by an earthquake. Preliminary estimates suggest that more than 22,000 people died. The following day, Tsang pledged to give China’s government more than $38 million U.S. for an emergency fund. He also offered to send a team of rescue specialists to the hardest-hit areas, and called for private assistance, adding, "I am hoping that the Hong Kong community will, as usual, participate in charitable work and make voluntary donations to help the victims in this area."

Polling Data

Please use a scale of 0-100 to rate your extent of support to the chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, with zero indicating absolutely not supportive, 100 indicating absolutely supportive and 50 indicating half-half. How would you rate the chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen?

	May 6	Apr. 18	Mar. 20	Mar. 9
Support Rating	65.1	64.8	64.3	64.4

Source: Hong Kong University Public Opinion Programme
Methodology: Interviews with 1,024 Hong Kong residents, conducted from May 2 to May 6, 2008. Margin of error is 3 per cent.