Tung Chee-hwa
董建华
1937–present
- First Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (1997–2005)
Biography
Tung Chee-hwa (born 1937) is a Hong Kong shipping businessman who served as the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region from 1997 to 2005. Appointed by Beijing, he was sworn into office at the Hong Kong handover ceremony, becoming the first person to govern Hong Kong after the return. His tenure encompassed the 1997–98 Asian financial crisis, the 2003 SARS epidemic, and the Article 23 legislation controversy triggered by that year's 1 July march. Facing sustained low public approval ratings, he resigned early in 2005, citing health reasons, before the completion of his term.