In sombre ceremony, political and business elite pay final tribute to city’s first postcolonial leader, as President Xi sends condolences
4-MIN READ4-MIN ListenMatthew Cheng,Jess MaandNg Kang-chungPublished: 10:24pm, 20 Sep 2026Updated: 10:32pm, 20 Sep 2026Chinese President Xi Jinping and other top leaders sent condolences from Beijing as Hong Kong bade farewell to the city’s first postcolonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, at a sombre yet poignant state funeral on Sunday.
A report by the official Xinhua News Agency praised Tung, who died on September 8 at the age of 89, as “an outstanding contributor to ‘one country two systems’, a renowned patriot, an outstanding social activist and a close friend of” the Communist Party of China.
“While Tung was critically ill, the central authorities expressed deep concern over his condition,” it said. “Xi Jinping and other central leaders instructed the [liaison office in Hong Kong] to convey best wishes and demanded all-out efforts to treat Tung.”
Xinhua also reported that following Tung’s death, Xi, Premier Li Qiang and other members of the leadership “expressed their deep grief in various forms and extended sincere condolences to [Tung’s] family”.
