‘In hard times, your honour shines’: Jack Ma pays tribute to Tung Chee-hwa

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.

I knew Mr Tung for many years. When he served as the chief executive of Hong Kong, Alibaba was expanding its businesses in the city. As we pursued our mission to “make it easy to do business anywhere”, Mr Tung offered us invaluable guidance and care.

After he stepped down as chief executive, I invited him to serve as one of the inaugural independent directors on Alibaba’s board in 2014, a role he graciously accepted. We were privileged to work alongside him for eight years.

During his tenure as an independent director, Mr Tung was exceptionally conscientious and dedicated. With profound wisdom and vision, he staunchly supported Alibaba’s innovations across various fields. He appreciated the core values of integrity and kindness that define Alibaba and he looked forward to seeing the company expand globally and earn the world’s respect as a Chinese enterprise.

Although Mr Tung has passed away, Alibaba’s continued development serves to realise his aspirations. I believe this is the finest tribute we can pay to his memory.