Tung Chee Hwa

Who is Tung Chee Hwa?

Tung Chee-hwa, GBM, also known as CH Tung, was the first Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of Hong Kong from the transfer of sovereignty on 1 July 1997 to 12 March 2005.

As the eldest son of Chinese shipping magnate Tung Chao Yung who founded Orient Overseas Container Line, Tung took over the family business after the death of his father in 1981. Four years later, OOCL teetered on the edge of bankruptcy in 1985, and the business was saved by the government of the People's Republic of China through Henry Fok in 1986.

After the transfer of Hong Kong's sovereignty from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, he became the first head of government on 1 July 1997, and took his unfinished second term in 2002.

Vast dissatisfaction among the public towards Tung grew through his tenure. In 2003, more than 500,000 protesters demanded that Tung step down. Tung resigned on 10 March 2005, three years into his second five-year term.

He is currently a Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Politics Consultative Conference. and remains active in public service. In 2008, he formed the China-United States Exchange Foundation, a group that aims to promote better understanding between the two countries.