Tung, who resigned as city leader in 2005 on health grounds, had not been seen in public since July 2021
3-MIN READ3-MINSCMP ReporterPublished: 1:00am, 9 Sep 2026Updated: 1:13am, 9 Sep 2026Tung Chee-hwa, who served as Hong Kong’s first chief executive and oversaw the 1997 return of the city to Chinese rule, has died.
The former vice-chairman of China’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), died on Tuesday at the age of 89, according to a statement from his office issued in the early hours on Wednesday.
“Mr Tung Chee-hwa was a man of unwavering integrity who devoted himself wholeheartedly to the nation, his noble character and spirit will stay forever in our hearts,” the statement read.
The office said Tung was surrounded by his loved ones when he died.
He was last seen in public in July 2021 when he attended the premiere of a film to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China.
