Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first chief executive after the territory was handed back to China, has died at the age of 89.
Tung died on Tuesday, according to a statement from his office cited by the South China Morning Post. No cause of death was given.
He took office on July 1, 1997, the day Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule after more than 150 years as a British colony. In his inaugural speech, Tung pledged to preserve Hong Kong’s way of life, its free and open economy, the rule of law and the development of a more democratic society.
His tenure, however, became closely associated with growing tensions over Hong Kong’s political future and the limits of the “one country, two systems” model, under which the territory was promised a high degree of autonomy from mainland China.
In 2003, Tung attempted to introduce Article 23, a proposed national security law covering offences including treason and sedition while giving authorities wider police powers. The move triggered a huge protest involving around 500,000 people, many dressed in black.
Faced with widespread opposition, Tung shelved the legislation. The controversy badly damaged his popularity and became a turning point in relations between Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp and Beijing.
Tung resigned in 2005, midway through his second term, citing ill health.
The Article 23 legislation he had unsuccessfully sought to introduce was eventually passed in March 2024 by a legislature dominated by pro-Beijing lawmakers.
From Shipping Tycoon To Hong Kong’s First Leader
Born in Shanghai in July 1937, Tung was the son of shipping magnate Tung Chao-yung, founder of the Orient Overseas Container Line. His family moved to Hong Kong when he was a child.
Tung later studied at the University of Liverpool in England and became a lifelong supporter of Liverpool Football Club. He also worked for General Electric in the United States before returning to his family’s shipping business.
In December 1996, Tung was selected by a 400-member committee dominated by Beijing loyalists to become Hong Kong’s first leader under Chinese sovereignty.
Despite having no previous political experience, he became a key figure in the early years of Hong Kong’s transition to Chinese rule.
After leaving office, Tung remained politically influential. He was appointed vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body, giving him a prominent role in Beijing’s political establishment.
Tung also developed close ties with senior US political figures. He and his father had been longtime friends of former US president George Bush, while Tung himself built a relationship with George W. Bush.
When Xi Jinping visited the United States in 2012, shortly before becoming China’s leader, Tung accompanied him. He also joined Xi’s delegation during his 2015 visit to Washington in an unofficial capacity.
However, Tung’s role as a bridge between China and the US diminished as relations between the two countries deteriorated.
His China-United States Exchange Foundation, a Hong Kong-based non-profit that provided grants to US universities and developed relationships with influential figures in Washington, came under scrutiny over its alleged links to the Chinese government.
A 2018 US-China Economic and Security Review Commission report described the foundation as having “involvement in influence operations”.
Strong Support For Beijing After 2019 Protests
Tung became increasingly outspoken in support of Beijing during the major pro-democracy protests that erupted in Hong Kong in 2019.
He described protesters as “anti-China disruptors” and accused them of seriously endangering national security.
He also defended the sweeping national security law imposed on Hong Kong by China in 2020, which some countries, including the US, condemned as a tool of repression.
Tung largely withdrew from public view in his later years.
In one of his final interviews with the Chinese Communist Party-aligned People’s Daily, he supported Beijing’s 2021 overhaul of Hong Kong’s electoral system, which effectively excluded opposition democrats from future elections.
“The ultimate test for any method of election is whether it brings happiness and wellbeing for the people,” Tung said.
“But only restoring social stability is not enough. We now need to strive for prosperity.”
