Tung Chee-hwa remembered as a kind-hearted mentor and dedicated leader
Former Hong Kong chief executive passes away at 89, remembered for his commitment to the city's future
Quick Look
- Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's first post-handover leader, has died at 89.
- Colleagues and former associates remember him as a kind, approachable mentor who remained deeply concerned with the city's development and youth long after his 2005 retirement.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Tung Chee-hwa served as the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong following the 1997 handover of sovereignty from the United Kingdom to China. He stepped down from the position in 2005.
Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first leader following its return to Chinese sovereignty, has been remembered as a “kind-hearted man” who mentored others and even inspired some to take up public office.
As tributes poured in for Tung, who died on Tuesday at age 89, people who worked closely with him shared touching anecdotes about the man they said cared deeply about Hong Kong’s issues even in the years after he stepped down as chief executive in 2005.
Bernard Charnwut Chan, chairman of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority board, described Tung as an approachable leader who often reached out to find solutions to Hong Kong’s deep-rooted problems even after his retirement.
“I still remember there was a year during the ‘two sessions’, he asked to meet me over lunch,” Chan said, referring to the annual plenary meetings of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.
“When I got into his hotel room, there was only a sandwich and we jumped right into the issues he was concerned about.”
Chan said Tung had asked for his views about the city’s development and young people’s future.
