Henry Tang Ying-yen (; born 6 September 1952) is a
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
who served as the
Chief Secretary of Hong Kong
The Chief Secretary for Administration, commonly known as the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, is the most senior principal official of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Chief Secretary is head of the Governme ...
between 2007 and 2011. He held the position of
Financial Secretary from 2003 to 2007. In 2012, he lost the
Hong Kong Chief Executive Election to
Leung Chun-ying
Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Ma ...
.
Background and education
Tang was born 6 September 1952 at early morning at
Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital
Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, or HKSH, is a private hospital established in 1922 in Happy Valley, Hong Kong.
The hospital has more than 500 beds and various room types and facilities. It also has a 24 hours outpatient consultation service.
...
in Happy Valley,
Wan Chai
Wan Chai is situated at the western part of the Wan Chai District on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, in Hong Kong. Its other boundaries are Canal Road, Hong Kong, Canal Road to the east, Arsenal Street to the west and Bowen Road to th ...
in
British Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...
,
His family operated in the textile industry and came from
Wuxi
Wuxi (, ) is a city in southern Jiangsu province, eastern China, by car to the northwest of downtown Shanghai, between Changzhou and Suzhou. In 2017 it had a population of 3,542,319, with 6,553,000 living in the entire prefecture-level city ar ...
, Jiangsu to Hong Kong in 1949 to escape the
communists
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a so ...
who were taking over the
Chinese mainland
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
. Henry Tang himself was born in what was then
British Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...
in 1952.
Tang went to Culford School in Suffolk in Britain before attending and graduating from
Cranbrook Schools
Cranbrook Schools is a private, PK–12 preparatory school located on a campus in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The schools comprise a co-educational elementary school, a middle school with separate schools for boys and girls, and a co-education ...
in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the
University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
in 1975.
[Cityu.edu.hk.]
cityu.edu.hk
." ''Henry Tang.'' Retrieved on 30 January 2010.
Henry Tang is commonly believed to have attended Graduate School at
Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...
and to have obtained a master's degree in
sociology
Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...
.
These were credentials submitted to then Hong Kong governor
David Wilson in 1991–1992. So far there is no evidence that he did obtain that degree.
Tang has extensive ties with
PRC
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
leaders as his father
Tang Hsiang Chien
Tang Hsiang-chien, GBS, OBE, JP (, 8 June 1923 – 10 March 2018) was a Hong Kong industrialist.
Personal
Tang was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province in what was then the Republic of China. His grandfather Tang Xiangting () had founded a te ...
was a standing committee member of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, zh, 中国人民政治协商会议), also known as the People's PCC (, ) or simply the PCC (), is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of ...
, the advisory body to the
National People's Congress
The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (NPC; ), or simply the National People's Congress, is constitutionally the supreme state authority and the national legislature of the People's Republic of China.
With 2, ...
.
Career
Tang was named
Global Leader for Tomorrow by the
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...
in 1993 and won the
Young Industrialist of Hong Kong award in 1989.
Between 1995 and 2001 he served as the Chairman of the
Federation of Hong Kong Industries
The Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI; ) is a business organization for the industrial companies in Hong Kong established under the Federation of Hong Kong Industries Ordinance, of the laws of Hong Kong
The law of the Hong Kong Specia ...
.
He was also a Committee Member of the
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC; ) was founded on 29 May 1861, and is the oldest and one of the largest business organizations in Hong Kong. It has around 4,000 corporate members, who combined employ around one-third of Hong Kon ...
and a Steward of the
Hong Kong Jockey Club
The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) is one of the oldest institutions in Hong Kong, having been founded in 1884. In 1959, it was granted a Royal Charter and renamed The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club (). The institution reverted to its original name ...
.
He was Chairman of the Provisional Construction Industry Co-ordination Board (PCICB) before joining the government.
Tang was a member of the
Executive Council from the
transfer of sovereignty in 1997 to 2011.
[Gov.hk.]
Gov.hk
" ''Mr Henry Tang Ying-yen.'' Retrieved on 30 January 2010. He served as a member of the Legislative Council for seven years from 1991 to 1998
as a member of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
, a pro-business and
pro-Beijing
The pro-Beijing camp, pro-establishment camp, pro-government camp or pro-China camp refers to a political alignment in Hong Kong which generally supports the policies of the Beijing central government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) t ...
party, prior to joining the government.
Tang has also served extensively on various government boards and public bodies, including the Trade Development Council, Town Planning Board, University Grants Committee, and Council of the
City University of Hong Kong
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is a world-class public research university located in Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong. It was founded in 1984 as City Polytechnic of Hong Kong and became a fully accredited university in 1994. Currently, CityU is ...
.
Tang took up his commerce post in July 2002 as part of a line-up of new secretaries aimed at improving the government's transparency. He was promoted from
Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology
The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development heads the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Government. The Secretary is responsible for promoting commerce and the economic development of Hong Kong. The position was ...
to
Finance Secretary
The Finance Secretary () is the administrative head of the Ministry of Finance. This post is held by senior IAS officer of the rank of Secretary to Government of India. T. V. Somanathan is the incumbent Finance Secretary.
As a Secretary to Go ...
on 4 August 2003 replacing
Antony Leung
Antony Leung Kam-chung GBS OBE JP (born 29 January 1952 in Hong Kong with family roots in Shunde, Guangdong) is a businessman who served as Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), from 29 May 2001 until ...
. Leung resigned on 16 July 2003 due to allegations of tax evasion in regards to his new car. Tang briefly served (25 May to 21 June 2005) as acting Chief Executive after
Tung Chee Hwa
Tung Chee-hwa (; born 7 July 1937) is a Hong Kong businessman and politician who served as the first Chief Executive of Hong Kong between 1997 and 2005, upon the transfer of sovereignty on 1 July. He is currently a vice-chairman of the Chine ...
, the former Chief Executive who resigned citing health reasons.
On 25 May 2005,
Donald Tsang
Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (; born 7 October 1944) is a former Hong Kong civil servant who served as the second Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012.
Tsang joined the colonial civil service as an Executive Officer in 1967, occupyi ...
, the Chief Secretary for Administration, resigned to stand in the 'by-election' for Chief Executive. Tang served as Acting Chief Executive of HKSAR soon after Tsang's resignation was announced.
Harbourfest case
Tang was involved in the
Harbour Fest
The Hong Kong Harbour Fest (), held from 17 October to 11 November 2003, was part of a HK$1 billion program to revive the economy of Hong Kong SAR after the SARS. It was a government underwritten event organised by InvestHK, under the auspices ...
controversy as Chairman of the Economic Relaunch Strategy Group responsible for pushing ahead with the plan to spend $100 million to revive the economy after
SARS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-1), the first identified strain of the SARS coronavirus species, ''sever ...
, and said that he should be held responsible. Tang had said that although
Mike Rowse, a senior civil servant, had actually signed the contract, Rowse as such was not required to be held politically responsible. However, during a Working Group meeting on 31 October 2003 and during an independent inquiry in May 2004, Tang allegedly said Rowse had not acted improperly and that there had been no irregularity in the implementation of the event.
[Nishika Patel]
Rowse seeks to have music fest verdict quashed
, '' The Standard'', 26 February 2008 Tang had also said that all parties had underestimated the complexity of the event and may have been too ambitious in organising it in such a short timespan. He later withdrew the remark: just before a government inquiry opened in November 2004, Tang requested the ERWG minutes be deleted.
[ Internal governmental disciplinary process fined Rowse for misconduct, but a High Court judge quashed the government ruling on 4 July 2008. Political commentator Frank Ching pointed to the huge ]credibility gap
Credibility gap is a term that came into wide use with journalism, political and public discourse in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, it was most frequently used to describe public skepticism about the Lyndon B. Johnson a ...
of the government. He noted that Tang's attempt to shift political responsibility from himself, as the minister responsible, to a senior civil servant, was a travesty of justice for Rowse, and went against the Accountability System.
Chief Secretary for Administration
On 23 June 2007, it was announced that Tang would succeed Rafael Hui
Rafael Hui Si-yan (born 8 February 1948) is a former Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong and career civil servant. Hui has been dubbed "Old Master Hui" () and "Fat Dragon" (). Hui was appointed as a Justice of the Peace on 1986 an ...
as the new Chief Secretary for Administration
The Chief Secretary for Administration, commonly known as the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong, is the most senior principal official of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Chief Secretary is head of the Governmen ...
of Hong Kong effective 1 July 2007.
2010 shoeing incident
On 6 March 2010 Tang attended a Youth Summit in Chai Wan
Chai Wan (; ), formerly known as Sai Wan (西灣), lies at the east end of the urban area of Hong Kong Island next to Shau Kei Wan. The area is administratively part of the Eastern District, and is a mosaic of industrial and residential area ...
organised by the Home Affairs Bureau
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau () is one of the policy bureaux of the Hong Kong Government.
One of the important roles of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau is to enhance liaison and communication with all sectors of the community inclu ...
. A 31-year-old jobless man threw a shoe at Tang and it landed on the stage metres away from him. The man was dragged away by police. The man said he was unemployed after getting fired by a computer company, and the government policies were not helping him. He said he was not a "post-80s" teen, but supported the highspeed rail protest connecting HK to Guangdong.[The Standard HK.]
The Standard.com
." ''Assault rap aimed at shoe thrower.'' Retrieved on 7 March 2010. A protester said that the topics discussed in the summit are not those that any young person would be interested in.[South China Morning Post]
SCMP
." ''Shoes thrown at Tang at youth summit.'' Retrieved on 7 March 2010.
2011 car crash comment and protest
On 15 January 2011, Tang gave a speech at the Roundtable Institute that included controversial comments about the Hong Kong post-80s generation.[Metrohk.com.hk.]
"葉劉批唐挑釁"
. Metrohk.com.hk Retrieved on 30 January 2010. He said the young generations need to take responsibilities, and he cautioned them for slamming others because of opposing views. Then he stressed the need to compromise and simplify complicated issues. He further said young people should not close the door and act like emperors. That he doesn't want to see politics lead to a bloodshed, leading to a road of no return and end up like a fatal car crash.
On 21 January 2011, Leung Kwok-hung
Leung Kwok-hung ( zh, t=梁國雄; born 27 March 1956), also known by his nickname "Long Hair" (), is a Hong Kong politician and social activist. He was a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, Legislative Council, representing the N ...
led a group of protesters to a public forum with a toy model car. He then smashed the car in front of Henry Tang to represent a fatal car crash. On 30 January 2011 eight youth groups including Hong Kong Federation of Students
The Hong Kong Federation of Students (HKFS, or 學聯) is a student organisation founded in May 1958 by the student unions of four higher education institutions in Hong Kong. The inaugural committee had seven members representing the four sc ...
marched to New World Development
New World Development Company Limited (NWD), is a Hong Kong-based company focused on property developer in Hong Kong, property, hotels, infrastructure and services and department stores. It was established on 29 May 1970 by Cheng Yu-tung. The ...
, Li Ka Shing
Sir Ka-shing Li (; born 13 June 1928) is a Hong Kong billionaire business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. As of June 2019, Li is the 31st richest person in the world, with an estimated net wealth of US$33.4 billion. He is the senior ad ...
's Cheung Kong Holdings
Cheung Kong (Holdings) Limited, is a multinational conglomerate, based in Hong Kong. It was one of Hong Kong's leading multi-national conglomerates. The company merged with its subsidiary Hutchison Whampoa on 3 June 2015, as part of a major ...
in Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and accused the government of colluding with businesses in maximising profits while squeezing the poor.[South China Morning Post.]
SCMP
." ''Article.'' Retrieved on 30 January 2010. The students criticised Tang and the government for policies that benefit the upper class only like no real estate tax duty, reduction of wine and profit tax. The students said the whole HK is at the mercy of real estate developers.
Unauthorized building works
From 13 February 2012, Hong Kong media reported unauthorised building works of Tang's two adjoined residences at York Road, Kowloon Tong
Kowloon Tong () is an area of Hong Kong located in Kowloon. The majority of the area is in the Kowloon City District. Its exaclocationis south of the Lion Rock, north of Boundary Street, east of the East Rail line and west of Grampian Road. It i ...
. On 16 February 2012, an inspection by officials of the Buildings Department revealed a basement with an area of more than 2200 square feet (11 m by 19 m) that was not documented in the approved floor plan. Tang admitted at a press conference that he was aware of the construction of an illegal basement at his family house and said that it was his wife's idea. His wife agreed that the responsibility was hers The admission followed several denials and provoked widespread criticism: "He has lost almost all his credibility, he lied every day," said Ma Ngok, a political sciences professor at the University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...
to AFP.
The scandal prompted some of Tang's potential supporters in the 2012 Hong Kong Chief Executive election to review their position. One former supporter said that it was 'unbearable' for Tang to throw the blame onto his wife.
No charges were brought against Tang though his wife was convicted of a criminal offence and fined HK$110,000, the illegal basement having been filled in.
2012 Hong Kong Chief Executive election
On 28 September 2011, in a widely trailed move, Tang resigned from his post, and then in late November announced his candidacy for Chief Executive. He was widely believed to be preferred by Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, and hence quickly received support from many financial heavyweights, including Former Monetary Authority chief Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a British multinational universal bank and financial services holding company. It is the largest bank in Europe by total assets ahead of BNP Paribas, with US$2.953 trillion as of December 2021. In 2021, HSBC had $10.8 tri ...
Asia-Pacific chief executive Peter Wong Tung-shun, and 'Father of Lan Kwai Fong', Allan Zeman
Allan Zeman GBM, GBS, JP (Chinese name: 盛智文; born 18 July 1949) is a Hong Kong business magnate.
Background and personal life
Allan Zeman was born into a Jewish family in Regensburg, Germany; and was raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canad ...
. However, in an unprecedented turn of events, including a series of scandals and dramatically reduced levels of public support, the final vote by the Election Committee
The Election Committee is a Hong Kong electoral college, the function of which is to select the Chief Executive (CE) and, since 2021, to elect 40 of the 90 members of the Legislative Council. Established by Annex I of the Basic Law of Hong ...
saw him lose to Leung Chun-ying
Leung Chun-ying (; born 12 August 1954), also known as CY Leung, is a Hong Kong politician and chartered surveyor, who has served as vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since Ma ...
.
Possible replacement as Chief Executive
The Financial Times reported, on 23 October 2019, that Tang was being considered as a replacement for Carrie Lam as Chief Executive of Hong Kong. However, the Chinese government denied such deliberations.
West Kowloon Cultural District Authority
Tang serves as the chairperson of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, which oversees the M+ museum of contemporary art. In March 2021, Tang said that the Authority would "definitely uphold the law and comply with the Basic Law, local laws and the national security law" in regards to art made by Ai Weiwei
Ai Weiwei (, ; born 28 August 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist, documentarian, and activist. Ai grew up in the far northwest of China, where he lived under harsh conditions due to his father's exile. As an activist, he has been openly c ...
.
Family and personal
Tang is married to Lisa Kuo Yu-chin and the couple have four children: three daughters and a son.
Tang's father Tang Hsiang Chien
Tang Hsiang-chien, GBS, OBE, JP (, 8 June 1923 – 10 March 2018) was a Hong Kong industrialist.
Personal
Tang was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province in what was then the Republic of China. His grandfather Tang Xiangting () had founded a te ...
was a standing committee member of the CPPCC
The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, zh, 中国人民政治协商会议), also known as the People's PCC (, ) or simply the PCC (), is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of ...
.
His brother, Tom Tang Chung-yen, is a member of the Trade Development Council, whose reappointment to the post by CY Leung, after he vanquished Tang to become Chief Executive in 2012, was seen as part of a reconciliation between the two camps. Apple Daily found in October 2020 that Tom Tang may have illegally violated land lease terms of an industrial site in Tai Po.
His niece (by marriage), Stefani Kuo, a playwright and actress, spoke out against the Hong Kong government during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, views that Tang explicitly rejected.
In February 2021, Tang said that he has a high tendency for allergic reactions to influenza vaccinations, and thus would not take a mainland Chinese COVID-19 vaccine
A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19).
Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
.
Extra-marital affairs
On 4 October 2011, in the midst of rumours about his extra-marital affair with Shirley Yuen, his administrative assistant when he was finance secretary of Hong Kong, Henry Tang issued a statement, in which he admitted that he had made a mistake in his romantic life in the past and he deeply regretted it. He said that his wife had forgiven him. His wife said in the statement that there had been difficult times in their relationship and that he has faults, but that she also appreciated his strengths. She acknowledged him as her 'best partner'.[唐英年承認過去感情有缺失]
Sina.com.hk. 4 October 2011. National People's Congress Standing Committee member Rita Fan
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai (; ' Hsu; ''born'' Hsu Ching-li; born 20 September 1945) is a senior Hong Kong politician. She was the first President of the Hong Kong SAR Legislative Council from 1998 to 2008 and a member of the Standing Committee of ...
said on 7 October 2011 that she didn't know about Tang's now widely publicised infidelity when she offered her support and she refused to rule herself out of standing in the following year's Chief Executive election, though she did not in fact stand.
In February 2012, several Chinese newspapers reported Henry Tang might have had a relationship with Esther Lam, the daughter of Heung Yee Kuk
The Heung Yee Kuk, officially the Heung Yee Kuk N.T., is a statutory advisory body representing establishment interests in the New Territories, Hong Kong. The council is a powerful organisation comprising heads of rural committees which repres ...
vice-chairman Daniel Lam Wai-keung. Emails supposedly exchanged by the two of them and a picture showing them shoulder against shoulder have been published. Tang denied the reports claiming "we are only casual acquaintances".[Tang denies affair with banker, South China Morning Post, 22 February 2012]
See also
*Antony Leung
Antony Leung Kam-chung GBS OBE JP (born 29 January 1952 in Hong Kong with family roots in Shunde, Guangdong) is a businessman who served as Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), from 29 May 2001 until ...
*Politics of Hong Kong
The politics of Hong Kong takes place in a framework of a political system dominated by its constitutional document, the Hong Kong Basic Law, its own legislature, the Chief Executive as the head of government and of the Special Administrat ...
*Executive Council of Hong Kong
The Executive Council of Hong Kong (ExCo) is the cabinet of the Government of Hong Kong, acting as a formal body of advisers to the Chief Executive of Hong Kong that serves as a core policy-making organ assisting the Chief Executive. It is ...
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tang, Henry
1952 births
Living people
Government officials of Hong Kong
Chief Secretaries of Hong Kong
Financial Secretaries of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Anglicans
Hong Kong businesspeople
Liberal Party (Hong Kong) politicians
University of Michigan alumni
Recipients of the Gold Bauhinia Star
Members of the Standing Committee of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Members of the 13th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference
Members of the Provisional Legislative Council
HK LegCo Members 1991–1995
HK LegCo Members 1995–1997
Members of the Selection Committee of Hong Kong
Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2017–2021