Meanwhile, Director of National Security Kan Kai-yan will fill the shoes of Deputy Police Commissioner for National Security Edwina Lau Chi-wai who will be retiring this month.

As for the post left behind by Chow, it will be taken by Director of Operations Johnson Chan Joon-sun.

In mid-February, Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee, who had reached the retirement age of 57, saw his term extended by another two years until April 1, 2025.

The government at that time explained the extension in Siu’s appointment was to “facilitate a smooth transition of the senior management of the Hong Kong Police Force.”

It is understood that Chow is seen as the most popular and fitting candidate to succeed Siu and become the city’s police chief.

Chow graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong and joined the force as an inspector in 1995. He was promoted as a superintendent and served in the Crime Wing Headquarters in 2010. He later seconded to Interpol General Secretariat in Lyon, France as a criminal intelligence officer between 2012 and 2013.

Chow assumed the office of Criminal Intelligence Bureau as the deputy in command upon promotion to senior superintendent in 2013. He further advanced to chief superintendent and commanded the bureau in 2016.

In 2017, Chow served as the district commander of Yau Tsim District and was appointed as the deputy regional commander of Kowloon West Region in early 2019.

Chow was promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner in February 2020 and to the rank of Senior Assistant Commissioner in January the next year. He became the Deputy Police Commissioner for Management in April last year.