Mr Tung has done his job very well

Jiang Enzhu, China's Hong Kong envoy

The former shipping tycoon was hand-picked by Beijing to lead the former colony when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Critics view him as a puppet of Beijing who has failed to defend Western-style liberties since the handover, and who has done little to combat two economic downturns.

But Jiang Enzhu, director of the Chinese Government's liaison office in Hong Kong, said Mr Tung should keep his job.

"In my view, Mr Tung has done his job very well," he told reporters late on Monday.

"It is of great significance to maintain the stability and continuity of the chief executive."

'Rigged system'

The next leader will be chosen early next year by a specially formed election committee of 800 mostly establishment and pro-Beijing figures.

A spokesperson for the self-styled Coalition Against a Second Term, Emily Lau, has accused the system of being rigged to ensure that only Beijing's nominee can win.

In an article in the South China Morning Post last month, she said the election process undermined the legitimacy of the executive authorities and the legislature.

The coalition group has accused Mr Tung of chipping away crucial parts of the autonomy the territory was promised when Britain returned it to China.

Mr Tung came under fire in July when the legislature passed a new bill that gives Beijing the power to sack the territory's leader. Human rights groups also fear the government might follow China's example by banning the Falun Gong spiritual movement.