Tung Chee-hwa

▪ 1998

      Few of Hong Kong's 6.3 million people were sleeping as midnight approached on June 30, 1997. Those celebrating in the streets and those watching television at home were all waiting for the historic moment when the Union Jack would be furled and the flag of China hoisted over what had been a British colony for 156 years. Most eyes, however, were on Tung Chee-hwa, the wealthy businessman Beijing had picked to serve for the next five years as chief executive of the new special administrative region of Hong Kong.

      Tung Chee-hwa was born in Shanghai on May 29, 1937 (a date derived from the Chinese lunar calendar). He was educated in Great Britain, became fluent in English, and spent six years in the U.S. studying business practices. In numerous interviews the unassuming millionaire had spoken confidently of his ability to persuade China's rulers, if it ever became necessary, to adhere to the provisions of the Joint Declaration signed by China and Britain in 1984 and officially registered at the United Nations as an international treaty. The principles of the document, which were incorporated into Hong Kong's miniconstitution known as the Basic Law, guaranteed that Hong Kong's traditional way of life would remain essentially unchanged for 50 years.

      Tung's supporters as well as pro-democracy activists conceded that the new chief executive would have to exhibit exceptional diplomatic skills to keep Hong Kong on an even keel in the months ahead. The people of Hong Kong had been promised, and expected to continue enjoying, substantial economic and political freedoms unknown in the rest of China. The ultimate authority, however, would reside in Beijing, and "one country, two systems" would come to mean what Beijing said it meant.

      Those who viewed Tung as China's man in Hong Kong rather than as a protector of Hong Kong's rights noted that his wealth was derived from the Orient Overseas shipping company founded by his father, who died in 1982. At that time the company owed more than $2.7 billion to some 200 banks and was on the verge of bankruptcy. Tung Chee-hwa worked tirelessly to save the company and in 1986 obtained a $120 million loan, $50 million of which came from the state-owned Bank of China. Additional millions were provided by China Merchants, the Hong Kong branch of China's Transport Industry. This alone, critics charged, made Tung beholden to China and involved a conflict of interests. Tung also came under fire for supporting Beijing's decision to abolish Hong Kong's legislature, which had been elected in 1995, and to replace it with an appointed provisional legislature the moment Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty.

ARTHUR LATHAM

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