Tung Chee Hwa, GBM (born 7 July 1937, Shanghai, China) was the first Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong since the transfer of sovereignty in 1997.

As the eldest son of Chinese shipping magnate Tung Chao Yung who founded Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), Tung took over the family business after the death of his father in 1981. Four years later, OOCL teetered on the edge of bankruptcy in 1985, and the business was saved by the government of the People's Republic of China through Henry Fok in 1986.

After the transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, he became the first head of government on 1 July 1997, and took his unfinished second term in 2002.

Vast dissatisfaction among the public towards Tung grew through his tenure. In 2003, more than 500,000 protesters demanded that Tung step down. Tung resigned on 10 March 2005, three years into his second five-year term.

He is currently a Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Politics Consultative Conference. and remains active in public service. In 2008, he formed the China-United States Exchange Foundation, a group that aims to promote better understanding between the two countries.

Xi Jinping (pronounced [ɕǐ tɕînpʰǐŋ] English approx.:SHEE JIN PING; born 1 June 1953) is a high-ranking politician of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as the top-ranked member of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of China, the country's Vice President, Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission, President of the Central Party School and the 6th ranked member of the CPC Politburo Standing Committee, China's de facto top power organ.

Son of communist veteran Xi Zhongxun, Xi Jinping served mostly in Fujian province in his early career. He was later appointed party chief of the neighboring Zhejiang province, and then was appointed as Shanghai's party chief following the dismissal of Chen Liangyu. Known for his tough stance on corruption and a frank openness about political and market economy reforms, Xi's combination of positions makes him the presumptive heir to current General Secretary and President Hu Jintao and the Paramount leader of the Communist Party of China's fifth generation of leadership.

Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, GBS JP (born 24 August 1950 in Hong Kong) is a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo), as well as the co-founder and current chairwoman of the New People's Party and Savantas Policy Institute.

She was formerly a prominent government official of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). She was the first woman to be appointed as Secretary for Security to head the disciplinary service.

Ip became a controversial figure for her role advocating the passage of legislation to implement Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23, and after this legislation was withdrawn, she became the first principal official to resign from the administration of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa. She took a sabbatical to study for a Master's degree. She contested the Hong Kong Island by-election, 2007 for the Legislative Council of Hong Kong but was defeated by Anson Chan in the two-horse race. She ran again in the 2008 LegCo election and won, gaining a seating in the Hong Kong Island constituency.