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Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first leader under “one country, two systems,” dies
He died Tuesday at age 89, with Xinhua citing 9:57pm as the time he passed away peacefully surrounded by family.
Hong Kong is mourning the death of Tung Chee-hwa, the city’s first leader after its 1997 return to Chinese sovereignty, who died Tuesday at age 89, according to Xinhua as cited by SCMP Economy.
Tung passed away peacefully at 9:57pm with his family nearby, SCMP Economy reports, and tributes followed from officials, politicians, business leaders and others across Hong Kong, mainland China, and overseas.
Beijing’s liaison office in Hong Kong described him as a close friend of the Communist Party of China and an outstanding contributor to the “one country, two systems” framework, while the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office sent condolences to his wife, Betty Tung Chiu Hung-ping.
The offices credited Tung with major historic contributions to Hong Kong’s smooth return to China and said he helped tackle complex political, economic and social challenges in the early years of the special administrative region, SCMP Economy adds.