Tung Chee-hwa had a clear vision for Hong Kong

The city’s first post-handover leader had strategic instincts to spare, but not the tactical and political skills needed for execution The contrasting assessments of political scientist Sonny Lo Shiu-hing and former Central Policy Unit head Lau Siu-kai frame this debate sharply. Their divergent analyses reveal not merely different judgments of one man, but fundamental disagreements about governance, legitimacy, and vision in the post-handover era. Lo’s critique is unforgiving; some consider it unfair. In his 2001 book, Governing Hong Kong: Legitimacy, Communication and Political Decay, he documents systematic institutional deterioration under Tung’s watch – weakened administrative capacity, executive-legislative paralysis, and the erosion of the once-vaunted civil service. Tung was chosen by a 400-member committee rather than universal suffrage, in accordance with the Basic Law. His administration depended entirely on performance-based credibility. His resignation three months later, ostensibly on health grounds, surprised no one.

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