Hong Kong's first post-colonial leader dies aged 89
The tenure of Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's first leader after the 1997 handover, was marked by crises and protests.
Hong Kong’s first post-colonial leader dies aged 89
Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first leader after the city returned to Chinese rule, has died at 89.
The former shipping heir assumed office from the last British governor, Chris Patten, in July 1997, when the UK handed Hong Kong back to China, bringing an end to more than 150 years of British rule.
Tung’s turbulent time in office was shaped by the Asian Financial Crisis, two major epidemics, and landmark protests that drew criticism of his government. He ultimately resigned in 2005.
Local media reported that Tung died on Tuesday night, surrounded by loved ones. His office said he was a man “devoted to his country and its people”.
“His noble character and integrity will live on forever in our hearts,” it said in a statement.
Born in Shanghai in 1937, Tung earned a mechanical engineering degree from Liverpool University in the UK before relocating to the US, where he spent nearly a decade working for General Electric.
He moved to Hong Kong in 1969 and joined his father’s shipping conglomerate, Orient Overseas, later taking over in 1979.
His political career started in 1992, when he was appointed to Patten’s executive council.
Although he had little political experience, Tung was widely thought to have been chosen by Beijing to lead Hong Kong after the handover. He was regarded as a loyalist, particularly after China’s state-run banks helped rescue his family business during a global downturn in the mid-1980s.
At a reception in the Great Hall of the People in January 1996, then Chinese president Jiang Zemin crossed a crowded room to shake Tung’s hand — a heavily photographed moment that was widely seen at the time as Beijing’s endorsement of Tung for the top post.
The Asian Financial Crisis struck soon after Tung took office, causing home prices to plunge. His administration also faced a string of public health crises, including a bird flu outbreak from 1997 to 2002 and the 2003 outbreak of Sars, also known as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
Tung’s biggest political test came in July 2003 during his second term, when half a million Hongkongers marched against a proposed national security law they feared would undermine their civic rights.
Following the huge backlash, his administration dropped the proposed legislation, which also helped lead to Tung’s resignation in March 2005.
At the time, his health was deteriorating, though some say Beijing pressured him to step down.
Beijing later imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, which authorities have said is needed to preserve stability. Critics, however, have described it as “the end of Hong Kong” and say it has fostered a climate of fear in the city.
Tung’s final public appearance was in July 2021, at an event marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party. Reports said he underwent heart surgery months later.
He is survived by his wife and three children.