Fan Hsu says Tung Chee-hwa worked sincerely for Hong Kong
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
Former Legislative Council president Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai (范徐麗泰) said Hong Kong’s first two-term chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa (董建華), had been genuinely committed to serving the city. She said that during his time in office, he had hoped to push forward a number of initiatives, but some did not materialise for different reasons. Among them was an early proposal for Shenzhen-Hong Kong cooperation to develop the Hetao area into a technology centre. Fan also said the failure to pass legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law was a regret for Tung.
Key Points
- Fan said Tung, a former vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Hong Kong’s first two-term chief executive, died on September 8 last month.
- She said her last meeting with Tung was about four to five years ago at the Tung family home, where she felt his health was not very good.
- Fan added that Tung’s wife, Betty Tung Chiu Hung-ping (董趙洪娉), was generally in good health, though she would occasionally be forgetful.
- Recalling the pre-handover period, Fan said she travelled to the United States to lobby on Hong Kong’s Vietnamese boat people issue, and businessman Tung offered help.
- After Tung became chief executive, Shenzhen officials proposed developing the Hetao area into a technology centre through cross-border cooperation, but internal government reservations meant it did not proceed.
Why It Matters
Fan’s account adds to public reflection on Tung’s political legacy after his death, especially on projects he wanted to pursue but could not complete. Her remarks also revive attention on how early ideas for Shenzhen-Hong Kong innovation cooperation and unresolved constitutional legislation shaped later policy debates in Hong Kong.