Erick Tsang on Tuesday said he resigned as secretary for constitutional and mainland affairs because of health reasons, and Chief Executive John Lee said there are no plans for now to further reshuffle his cabinet.

The State Council on Tuesday morning announced the removal of Tsang from his post.

Speaking to the media together shortly afterwards, the CE thanked Tsang for his 39 years of public service, including many successful elections he oversaw in the past few years.

He said Undersecretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Clement Woo will act in Tsang's capacity until a replacement is found.

"There will be no further change of principal officials, particularly now we have so many things to do and they're all doing as I require them to do, sharing my governance philosophy," Lee said before the weekly Executive Council meeting.

"I will ensure that [the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau] will be sufficiently staffed with the right calibre of colleagues."

Tsang, 62, indicated he's at high risk of developing prostate cancer.

He said his PSA index had been rising persistently, and his condition has not improved despite undergoing various types of treatment.

"After discussions with family and doctors, we thought the best way to deal with this is to leave my work behind and reduce stress to take care of my health," he said.

"So after completing the mission of holding the Legco elections, I contemplated the situation, and ultimately decided to tender my resignation to the chief executive.”

Tsang thanked the trust and support of Beijing, different chief executives and society at large.

He said he would wish to continue contributing to society in different ways going forward.

Tsang joined the Immigration Department as an assistant immigration officer in 1987 and rose through the ranks, becoming the immigration director in 2016.

He began serving as constitutional and mainland affairs minister in 2020 under then chief executive Carrie Lam.