Tung Chee Hwa

Chief Executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
People's Republic of China

The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, was born in Shanghai on May 29, 1937, the first child of shipping businessman Tung Chao Yung and Koo Lee Ching. Mr Tung has a brother and three sisters.In 1947 the Tung family moved to Hong Kong. After completing secondary school in Hong Kong, Mr Tung studied in the United Kingdom and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 1960 with a Bachelor of Science degree in marine engineering.Mr Tung then worked for General Electric and the family business in the United States before returning to Hong Kong in 1969 to join the family group business.The Group was one of the world's largest container, dry bulk and tanker operators at the time. When the shipping industry subsequently slumped during the 1980s global recession, the Group survived through financial restructuring. The business was revitalised and has been established firmly at the forefront of the industry. On December 11, 1996 Mr Tung won by a wide margin in the first election to the post of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC). He was formally appointed by the Central People's Government on December 16, 1996 and assumed office as the first Chief Executive of the HKSAR on July 1, 1997 for a five-year term.Mr Tung was elected uncontested for a second term on February 28, 2002, and was formally appointed by the Central People's Government on March 4, 2002. His second term began on July 1, 2002. Prior to his election, Mr Tung was vice-chairman of the then Preparatory Committee of the HKSAR and a Hong Kong Affairs Adviser to the PRC. He was a member of the Eighth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.