Times of Change

A Hong Kong native who joined the expatriate dominated civil service of that territory, the author describes the institutional barriers he encountered. Prejudice and frustrations notwithstanding, he eventually reaches the top level of the service.

Starting as an income tax assessor, Eric Ho worked successively in expenditure control, fisheries, external commercial relations, and communications between the government and the people. He emerges as policy co-ordinator for education, health, welfare and manpower services, and then returns to the trade and industry field. Next to this, he served on the Joint Liaison Group established under the Sino-British Agreement which returned Hong Kong to China.

With its observations on changing attitudes and accounts of certain international negotiations, this book will be of interest to historians, scholars and the general reader.

Eric Peter Ho, BA (HK), CBE, began his career in the Hong Kong service in 1950. From 1977 to 1987, he was a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, and, from 1985 to 1987, the Executive Council. He also served as Secretary for Social Services (1977–82), Secretary for Trade and Industry (1983–87) and finally as Chairman of the Public Service Commission (1987–91).