The British Consulate-General Hong Kong, located at 1 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty on Hong Kong Island, is the largest British consulate-general and is bigger than many British embassies and high commissions abroad.[1] It is responsible for maintaining British ties with Hong Kong[2] and Macao.[3]
The British Consulate-General is also the Regional Passport Processing Centre, handling passport applications from British citizens resident elsewhere in Asia, including mainland China.[4]
Previously, it also processed applications received by the British Trade and Cultural Office in the Republic of China, which is commonly known as Taiwan, the name of its main island.[5] Besides, it also receives registrations of marriages from British nationals in the Republic of China, although there is no legal requirement for British nationals to do so.[6]
Due to Hong Kong's unique status, the consul-general reports directly to the Foreign Office, instead of going through the British Embassy in Beijing.[7]
An unprecedented open recruitment exercise was held to search for Bradley's successor.[8] Andrew Seaton assumed the position[9] on 22 April 2008.
The consulate-general was designed by British architects Terry Farrell and Partners. Occupied in October 1996, it was a HK$ 290 million project, with the British Council in an adjoining building opened in the following December.
Together with the United States Consulate General, the Consulate General of Malaysia, and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia, the British Consulate-General is among the few consulates-general in the territory to have its own buildings.
Contents |
| Name | Tenure Begin | Tenure End | Birth Date | British Monarch | Hong Kong Chief Exceutive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Francis Cornish 鄺富劭 |
1 July 1997 | November 1997 | 18 May 1942 | Queen Elizabeth II | Tung Chee-hwa→ Sir Donald Tsang→ Henry Tang→ Sir Donald Tsang |
| Sir Robert Andrew Burns 貝恩德爵士 |
November 1997 | June 2000 | 21 July 1943 | ||
| Sir James William Hodge 何進爵士 |
June 2000 | November 2003 | 24 December 1943 | ||
| Stephen Edward Bradley 柏聖文 |
November 2003 | March 2008 | 4 April 1958 | ||
| Andrew James Seaton 奚安竹 |
March 2008 | 20 April 1954 | Sir Donald Tsang |
Files pertaining to the holders of the British National (Overseas) passport were handed to the Consulate-General from the Immigration Department of Hong Kong prior to the handover.