Rita Fan pays tribute to late former CE Tung Chee-hwa

The first president of the Legislative Council following the establishment of the HKSAR, Rita Fan, on Sunday praised the late former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa, saying he worked for the good of Hong Kong. Fan, also a former member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, served as Legco President from 1997 to 2008. Her time as Legco head spaned Tung’s entire tenure as chief executive from 1997 to 2005. Speaking on an RTHK radio programme on Sunday, Fan noted that Tung had many plans for his time in office, but various reasons prevented many from coming to fruition. “Before the establishment of the SAR, after Tung and I were both elected, the Mayor of Shenzhen and the Secretary of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee came to visit Tung. Tung treated them to a meal and asked me along for company. Why did those two people come? They hoped Hong Kong and Shenzhen could co-develop the Hetao area as a technology hub,” she said. “Their dedication to working with us was very obvious, but the discussions led nowhere because some powerful figures in the government at the time thought it was not the right timing. Fast forward to today, we are finally implementing this plan.” Fan added that failing to enact Article 23 of the Basic Law during his tenure may have been one of Tung’s greatest regrets. She also recalled meeting Tung for the last time four to five years ago at his home, noting she observed that his health was declining during their conversation. Edited by Tony Sabine

2026-10-04 12:55:00