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Leopold Chen

Hong Kong’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, has been remembered by former colleagues for his foresight in advancing the city’s tech sector and for actively engaging with mainland China to boost economic development during his tenure, while Singapore’s prime minister hailed his leadership.
Singapore’s Lawrence Wong praised Tung, who died last week, for his “steady and visionary leadership” in a letter to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu to extend his condolences to Hong Kong.
“[Tung] steered the city through major challenges … with a deep sense of responsibility for Hong Kong and its people,” Wong wrote, citing the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2003 Sars outbreak.
“His service paved the way for Hong Kong’s long-term development and prosperity in the years to come under the ‘one country, two systems’ framework,” Wong added, also calling Tung “an old friend” of Singapore.


The letter, dated Thursday, was posted on the Facebook page of the Singapore consulate in Hong Kong on Saturday
Local political heavyweights praised Tung on Sunday for anticipating developmental trends ahead of others, citing his decisions to establish the tech hub Cyberport and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.
“He proposed developing Cyberport very early on, allocating land specifically to attract innovation and technology talent. This is exactly what we are doing now,” Tam Yiu-chung, who was a member of Hong Kong’s top decision-making body, the Executive Council, during Tung’s tenure, told a radio show on Sunday.
Tam, formerly Hong Kong’s sole deputy to the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, China’s top legislative body, also credited Tung with foreseeing the need to engage the mainland closely to support the local economy, at a time when many were focusing solely on Hong Kong’s own development.
Examples cited by Tam included Tung’s support for the Individual Visit Scheme for mainland residents and the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, a free-trade deal between the two sides.
“Both of these were proposed by Tung,” said Tam, now a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank. “And they offered instant relief to the Hong Kong economy [after the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic].”
Tung died at the age of 89 in Hong Kong last Tuesday, and a state funeral will be held for him next Sunday.
As the first chief executive after Hong Kong’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, Tung navigated the city through the 1998 Asian financial crisis and the Sars epidemic in 2003.
He also attempted to enact the national security legislation required under Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2003, but withdrew the bill after half a million people took to the streets to oppose it.
Tung resigned from the post in March 2005, citing health reasons, and later became a state leader as a vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top advisory body.
Speaking on the same show, Fanny Law Fan Chiu-fun, who headed Tung’s office before his swearing-in, echoed Tam’s remarks on his push for science and technology.
“Tung indeed possessed great foresight. He had a set of excellent concepts to implement,” she said.
“As there were many other investment options, when real estate and finance were thriving, it was difficult to persuade others to invest in areas that took a long time to generate returns.”

Elsie Leung Oi-sie, who served as the city’s justice secretary during Tung’s tenure, said his humility had helped mediate ideological conflicts in the early post-handover stage.
Leung said that while Tung was criticised for being indecisive in his policies at that time, she understood that he was just trying to satisfy both the pro-establishment and the then opposition camps before implementation.
“Many of the problems were new, things everyone had never handled before. It was a period of transition requiring mutual adaptation,” she said, pointing to the constitutional interpretation power of the NPC Standing Committee and right-of-abode issues as examples.
“Without Tung’s support, these things simply could not have been done, because everyone was unfamiliar with these issues.”
Tam added that future administrations could learn an important lesson from the fallout after Tung’s term.
He noted that Tung’s ambitious long-term housing targets faced intense pushback from developers and property owners when the 1998 financial crisis triggered a wave of negative equity.
“Views emerged calling to halt the construction of public rental and subsidised flats. The halt lasted for 10 years, which ultimately led to the housing shortage we face today,” Tam said, emphasising that reviewing Tung’s long-term vision offered valuable guidance for future policy work.
Former financial secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said on social media that Tung was audacious in addressing established problems in Hong Kong, including high property prices and a lack of economic diversity.
Tung’s approach led to plans to build more public housing and promote technological development, Tsang said.
“But during such a period of transition and when everything warranted further realignment, Tung could not win cooperation from all sectors when he tried to implement these policies,” he said.
Tsang also praised Tung for doing everything within his power to fully implement the principles of “one country, two systems” and “Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong”.
He did this “while steadfastly upholding the dignity of the chief executive’s role. His efforts in these areas should not be erased”, Tsang said.


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Tung Chee-hwa

Tung Chee-hwa in 2003. Photo: Robert Ng

Tung Chee-hwa (left) and Tam Yiu-chung back in 2003. Photo: Ricky Chung

The Hong Kong Science and Technology Park in Pak Shek Kok. Photo: Sun Yeung

Mainland Chinese pay tribute to Tung Chee-hwa for opening door to Hong Kong

Tung Chee-hwa played a key role in getting the central government to approve the solo-travel scheme by incorporating it into the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement deal. Photo: K. Y. Cheng

Visitors take photos of Victoria Harbour from The Peak. Photo: Karma Lo

State funeral for Hong Kong’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa set for September 20

Former city leader Tung Chee-hwa died on Tuesday at the age of 89. Photo: SCMP

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Alibaba has mourned the death of former independent director Tung Chee-hwa, hailing his global perspective and contribution to the company’s development. Photo: Sam Tsang

Alibaba Group Holding co-founder and former executive chairman Jack Ma (right) embraces Tung Chee-hwa during a talk organised by Our Hong Kong Foundation at Taikoo Place in Hong Kong in 2015. Photo: Sam Tsang

Tributes flow in as Hong Kong mourns Tung Chee-hwa, pioneering first leader

Tung Chee-hwa poses for a portrait at the Office of Former Chief Executives in Mid-Levels in June 2017. Photo: Antony Dickson

Former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa (left) gives his wife Betty Tung Chiu a kiss during the third anniversary celebrations of Our Hong Kong Foundation in 2017. Photo: Felix Wong

Tung bows to his supporters after delivering a re-election victory speech at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 12, 2002. Photo: Dustin Shum

Tung presides over the swearing-in of members of the Legislative Council on July 1, 1997. Photo: Antony Dickson

Tung meets former US President Bill Clinton in the White House in April 2000. Photo: Handout

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Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also praises Tung for his ‘steady and visionary leadership’ in a condolence letter to Hong Kong


Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also praises Tung for his ‘steady and visionary leadership’ in a condolence letter to Hong Kong.


Tung Chee-hwa remembered for foresight in developing Hong Kong’s tech sector

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also praises Tung for his ‘steady and visionary leadership’ in a condolence letter to Hong Kong

Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong also praises Tung for his ‘steady and visionary leadership’ in a condolence letter to Hong Kong