🚨 Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first Chief Executive after the territory returned to Chinese rule, has died at the age of 89.
Tung, a former shipping tycoon, became Hong Kong’s first leader after the 1997 handover from Britain to China. He served as Chief Executive from 1997 until his resignation in 2005.
His time in office was marked by major challenges, including the Asian financial crisis, the SARS outbreak and growing political tensions over proposed national security legislation.
In 2003, Tung’s government attempted to introduce legislation under Article 23, prompting huge public protests. The proposal was eventually shelved, while Tung’s popularity declined significantly.
After leaving office, he remained an influential political figure and continued to support closer ties between Hong Kong and mainland China.
Tung’s death was reported by Reuters and confirmed by multiple international outlets. He was 89.
