World News by Wild Rose

The farewell to former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa was moving because it marked the passing of a figure who stood at the beginning of a wholly new chapter for Hong Kong, a city to which he devoted so much of himself. For many, Tung will always be associated with the formidable demands of the early years after the return to the motherland – the Asian financial crisis, the bursting of the property bubble, severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and sharp social divisions. The institutions of...

On September 8, Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first chief executive, died. It prompted reflection, not only on a political figure who once stood at the centre of the city’s public life, but also on nearly three decades of change since its return to China. History is rarely shaped by a single person or isolated decisions. Individual choices, institutional adjustments, social expectations and external circumstances all interact to form the historical process. This is particularly true in Tung’s case....

When Tung Chee-hwa died, the obituaries predictably described a Hong Kong shipping mogul who became the city’s first postcolonial chief executive. How his government navigated the Asian financial crisis and severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic and its retreat from Article 23 were highlighted. There was less attention paid to the political hybrid he embodied. Tung sat as vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference,...

Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top leaders sent condolences from Beijing as Hong Kong bade farewell to the city’s first postcolonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, at a sombre yet poignant state funeral on Sunday. A report by the official Xinhua News Agency praised Tung, who died on September 8 at the age of 89, as “an outstanding contributor to ‘one country two systems’, a renowned patriot, an outstanding social activist and a close friend of” the Communist Party of China. “While Tung was...

Hong Kong’s first post-colonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, has been lauded as a pioneer of “one country, two systems”, a staunch patriot and a close friend of the Chinese Communist Party who also contributed to US-China relations, according to a eulogy delivered by a senior Beijing official. In his remarks at Tung’s state funeral on Sunday, seen by the South China Morning Post, Shi Taifeng – a Politburo member and first vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC),...

Hong Kong is bidding farewell to its first post-colonial chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, on Sunday at a state funeral – only the third time a Hongkonger has received such an honour since the 1997 handover. Tung, who died at the age of 89 on September 8, led Hong Kong through a series of ups and downs, including the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 Sars outbreak and the V-shaped economic recovery that followed. Sunday’s funeral follows a vigil held the previous day at the Hong Kong Funeral...

Hong Kong’s political and business elite bade a solemn farewell to Tung Chee-hwa, the city’s first chief executive, at a vigil on Saturday, as Beijing leaders sent wreaths ahead of his state funeral and members of the public streamed into community centres to sign condolence books. Hundreds of wreaths lined the pavement at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point, spilling into a nearby playground, while inside the hall the mood was hushed as top officials, former politicians and business...

This weekend, Hong Kong mourns the loss of former chief executive and elder statesman Tung Chee-hwa. The shipping tycoon who became the city’s first leader after its transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997 died on September 8 at the age of 89, leaving a legacy of determined stewardship and dedicated public service. This weekend, a state funeral will be held to honour Tung, who was also a former vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). There will be a...

This weekend, Hong Kong mourns the loss of former chief executive and elder statesman Tung Chee-hwa. The shipping tycoon who became the city’s first leader after its transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997 died on September 8 at the age of 89, leaving a legacy of determined stewardship and dedicated public service. He is remembered for steering Hong Kong through uncharted waters following the end of colonial rule, as well as his tireless efforts as a state leader and business heavyweight to...

Alibaba Group co-founder Jack Ma reflects on his ties to Hong Kong’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. Those connections spanned both business and philanthropy, encompassing Tung’s eight years on Alibaba’s board of directors and his inspirational role in Ma’s youth entrepreneurship foundation for local youths. Ma’s reflections are part of the South China Morning Post’s special commemorative print supplement published on Saturday. I knew Mr Tung for many years. When he served as the chief...

South China Morning Post publisher Tammy Tam reflects on her encounters with Hong Kong’s first chief executive, the late Tung Chee-hwa, looking back on memories from her days as a frontline reporter, his regular exchanges with media representatives and Tung’s rare appearance at an SCMP conference in 2020 to advocate US-China dialogue. Her recollections are part of a special SCMP commemorative supplement that features heavyweights from various sectors paying tribute to Tung. “Are you Ms Tam? Mr...

Some residents have started paying tribute to Hong Kong’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa on Friday morning, bringing flowers and writing heartfelt messages in condolence books placed at three community halls across the city. The condolence signing is arranged for the public a day ahead of Tung’s vigil on Saturday, followed by a state funeral on Sunday. “Chief Executive Tung, you devoted yourself selflessly so that Hong Kong could make a smooth transition. Hong Kong people will remember you...

The first vice-chairman of the nation’s top political advisory body is overseeing an 87-member committee of political and business heavyweights to arrange the state funeral for Hong Kong’s first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. A vigil will be held from 3pm to 10pm on Saturday at the Hong Kong Funeral Home in North Point and a public memorial service will start at 9am on Sunday, according to an obituary placed by Tung’s family in the South China Morning Post on Tuesday. “In lieu of flowers,...

The China-United States Exchange Foundation has launched a permanent tribute webpage to Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first chief executive, and collected more than 100 reflections from political and business heavyweights around the world. The foundation, established by Tung in 2008, said the webpage, which launched on Monday, included tributes from Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and Max Baucus, former United States ambassador to China. “This permanent tribute not only placemarks his remarkable...

Hong Kong’s first leader Tung Chee-hwa, who died last week, has been remembered by former colleagues for his foresight in developing technology and actively engaging with mainland China to boost the city’s economic development during his tenure. Political heavyweights praised the former chief executive for being able to foresee developmental trends before others could, citing Tung’s decisions to establish Cyberport and the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park. “He proposed developing Cyberport...

The state funeral for the city’s first chief executive, the late Tung Chee-hwa, is scheduled for next Sunday, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source confirmed on Saturday that the funeral would take place on September 20, with details being arranged. State leaders and central government officials are expected to join the funeral committee, following previous practice. The SCMP reported earlier that a state funeral would be accorded to Tung to honour his legacy as a deputy...

The death of Tung Chee-hwa at age 89 has prompted a necessary reckoning with the legacy of Hong Kong’s first chief executive. Two decades after his resignation, the question endures: was Tung a hapless administrator overwhelmed by crisis, or a prescient leader constrained by circumstance and an unforgiving political environment? The contrasting assessments of political scientist Sonny Lo Shiu-hing and former Central Policy Unit head Lau Siu-kai frame this debate sharply. Their divergent analyses...

Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first chief executive who oversaw the city’s 1997 return to Chinese rule, has died. According to a statement from his office issued in the early hours on Wednesday, he died on Tuesday at the age of 89, surrounded by his loved ones. It is understood that he died at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital. Tung was also a vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. In this live blog, the South China Morning...

Tung Chee-hwa, who served as Hong Kong’s first chief executive and oversaw the 1997 return of the city to Chinese rule, has died. The former vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), died on Tuesday at the age of 89, according to a statement from his office issued in the early hours on Wednesday. He was last seen in public in July 2021 when he attended the premiere of a film to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding...