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Farewell marks Tung Chee-hwa’s role in Hong Kong’s early post-1997 era
The eulogy cited his contribution to “one country, two systems” and the scale of expectations placed on new Hong Kong institutions after the handover.
The SCMP Economy describes the farewell to former Hong Kong chief executive Tung Chee-hwa as moving, portraying him as a key figure at the start of a new chapter for the city after the handover.
It says Tung became closely associated with early post-return challenges, including the Asian financial crisis, the bursting of the property bubble, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and sharp social divisions, when new Hong Kong Special Administrative Region institutions were still forming.
According to the article, the eulogy highlighted his role in “one country, two systems” and described him in terms that extended beyond specific controversies, including as an outstanding contributor and a close friend of the Communist Party.
The piece also argues that understanding Tung requires viewing him in the context of the generation tasked with translating a historic national policy into Hong Kong’s governing institutions.