Hong Kong - The popularity of Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang has fallen to a new low amid the worsening economic slump, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The chief executive of the former British colony was given a score of 50.7 points out of 100 in the monthly poll by the city's Chinese University, down from more than 60 out of 100 in May.

Of the 856 people interviewed, only 15.5 per cent said they were satisfied with the government, down 1.8 percentage points from November, while 36.6 per cent were dissatisfied, up 7.4 percentage points.

Researchers said the steady fall in the popularity of Tsang, appointed by Beijing to run Hong Kong in 2005, was linked to the economic slump and the administration's apparent failure to take positive steps to tackle it.

People were unimpressed by a 14-point package of economic aid from China that Tsang announced after talks with president Hu Jintao and premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing earlier in December, they pointed out.

Tsang's administration was also criticized for not acting quickly enough to help Hong Kong tourists stranded in Thailand when Bangkok's main airport was shut down for a week by protestors.

The Chinese University survey mirrors a similar regular poll conducted by the University of Hong Kong which a fortnight ago found Tsang's popularity had fallen to its lowest level since he took office.