The Life of Mr. Tung Chee-hwa

The China News Service reported from Hong Kong on September 20 that the State Council’s relevant remarks on Hong Kong and Macao affairs reviewed the life of Mr. Tung Cheehwa. He passed away in Hong Kong on September 8, 2026, at the age of 89. Tung Cheehwa was born in Shanghai in 1937, with ancestral roots in Zhoushan, Zhejiang. He later moved to Hong Kong with his family. In his early years, he went to the United Kingdom to study, and after graduating from the University of Liverpool, he worked in the United States. He returned to Hong Kong in 1969 to join his family’s shipping business, and subsequently held a number of positions in the shipping industry and the business community. In 1997, Tung Cheehwa became the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and in 2002 he served as the second Chief Executive. During his tenure, he promoted Hong Kong’s response to challenges such as the Asian financial crisis and the SARS outbreak, and took part in a number of institutional and livelihood reforms. Afterward, he continued to participate in the work of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, focusing on exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland, youth development, and Hong Kong’s longterm development. The article also mentioned that Tung Cheehwa had long supported the country’s reform and opening up and the practice of “one country, two systems,” was committed to safeguarding Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability, and had founded institutions such as the ChinaUnited States Exchange Foundation and Our Hong Kong Foundation.