Hong Kong Prime Minister Carrie Lam will step down at the end of June.
She will not run for a two-term term, Lam, 64, said Monday.
At the end of her mandate, she will also “officially end her 42-year career in government”.
She made the decision for family reasons: "I have to put my family first, and she feels it's time for me to go home." The Beijing-loyal head of government ended speculation about a further candidacy in the Chinese special administrative region.
According to Lam, she informed the government in Beijing about her decision a year ago.
Lam's successor will be chosen by an election committee on May 8, and his inauguration is scheduled for July 1.
The forces loyal to Beijing have a clear majority in the 1,500-member body.
So far, no promising applicant has announced his candidacy.
Lam became the first woman to be elected to the top of Hong Kong's administration in 2017.
The current number two in Hong Kong, John Lee, and Finance Minister Paul Chan are considered possible successors.
The months of mass protests by the democracy movement in 2019 took place during Lam's term in office. Since then, the Chinese authorities have massively expanded their influence in the special administrative region.
In July 2020, the so-called security law came into force: it allows the authorities to take draconian action against all activities that they believe threaten China's national security.
Recently, Hong Kong also struggled with a sharp increase in corona numbers.
In the first two years, Hong Kong was largely able to protect itself from the corona pandemic with strict measures.
However, the Omicron wave hit the metropolis with full force.
At the end of March, Hong Kong relaxed some of the strict corona restrictions again.