Tung Chee-hwa, former Chief Executive of Hong Kong and past Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA), died on Tuesday, September 8, at the age of 89.
"He served as our Chairman from 1976 to 1977, at a formative stage in his distinguished career, and in later years, he honoured our association by accepting the role of patron, lending his stature and wisdom to our community," the HKSOA said in a statement one day after Tung's passing.
Tung was born in Shanghai in 1938 but relocated to Hong Kong with his family in the 1950s. After receiving his bachelor's degree in marine engineering from the University of Liverpool in the UK, he went to the United States and worked with General Electric.
He was elected as the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in July 1997 and served in that capacity until 2005.
Following his tenure as Chief Executive, he was elected Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and went on to found and chair the Our Hong Kong Foundation.
Tung's father was Chinese shipping magnate Tung Chao Yung, perhaps best known as the founder of container shipping company Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL). The younger Tung took over OOCL following the elder Tung's death in 1981.
"Mr C.H. Tung dedicated himself to advancing the development of Hong Kong's shipping industry, making substantial contributions," said current HKSOA Chairman Richard Hext. "He played a pivotal role in building his family shipping company, OOCL, into one of the giants in the container industry.
"We are very grateful for his dedication to the shipping industry, to Hong Kong, and to the nation, as well as his many efforts to enhance social welfare."