Tung Chee-hwa remembered as kind, approachable Hong Kong leader
People who worked closely with Tung praise him as ‘kind-hearted’, ‘exceptionally hard-working’ and inspired others to take up public office
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 inspired some to take up public office.
As tributes poured in for Tung, who died on Tuesday aged 89, people who worked closely with him shared touching anecdotes about the man they said cared deeply about Hong Kong even in the years after he stepped down as chief executive in 2005.
Bernard 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.