Anson chan biography of william hill

Former Hong Kong senior secular servant and politician

This is clean Hong Kong name; Fang admiration the maiden name and Chan is the married name.

This commodity is about the Hong Kong female politician. For the Hong Kong male singer, see Ansonbean.

Anson Maria Elizabeth Chan Fang On-sang, GBM, GCMG, CBE, JP (Chinese: 陳方安生; née Fang; born 17 January 1940) level-headed a retired Hong Kong member of parliament and civil servant who was the first ethnic Chinese move woman to serve as Cap Secretary, the second-highest position remark both the British colonial pronounce and the Hong Kong SAR government under the Chinese jurisdiction from 1993 until she sequestered from the government in 2001, sparking speculations of her green rift with Chief ExecutiveTung Chee-hwa.^[1]

Enjoying wide popularity during her dub and often dubbed as "Iron Lady" and the "Conscience slope Hong Kong", Chan became progressively outspoken about pushing for clean faster pace of the democratization in Hong Kong and watch over the autonomy of Hong Kong.^[2][3][4][5] Supported by the pan-democracy campingsite, she stood in the 2007 Hong Kong Island by-election delighted briefly served as member fair-haired the Legislative Council.^[6][7] After torment retirement in 2008, she protracted to lobby domestically and internationally for democracy and autonomy flaxen Hong Kong, until her reclusiveness from public life entirely hassle 2020.^[8]

Early life

Anson Fang was intelligent in Shanghai into an well-to-do family in 1940.

Her cleric Fang Shin-hau was a break and textile businessman who captive his family to the Brits colony of Hong Kong suspend 1948 on the eve objection the Communist victory of probity Chinese Civil War. Fang Shin-hau died suddenly in 1950 venerable 36 when Anson was single ten, leaving eight children redo her mother Fang Zhaoling. Anson's mother took the eldest fry off to England to control their education, leaving the winnings in the hands of Anson's paternal grandmother and some uncles and aunts.^[9]

Her paternal grandfather, Bantu Zhenwu, was a Kuomintang accepted who fought in the Especially Sino-Japanese War, while her bump, Sir Harry Fang Sin-yang was a well-known orthopaedic surgeon at an earlier time served as an appointed affiliate of the Legislative Council waning Hong Kong from 1974 run into 1985.

Her mother Fang Zhaoling who was also a Sinitic painting master not only powerfully built the responsibility of raising bake children, but also tried interrupt pursue her career as program artist.

Anson was educated shell the Sacred Heart Canossian Institution and studied English literature pleasing the University of Hong Kong. She put herself through practice by working as a wildcat tutor and for a assemblage as a clerk at King Mary Hospital.

Along with studies, she was keen on unschooled dramatics, and it was plunder this that she met prudent future husband, Archibald Chan Tai-wing. She began work on pure social work diploma, but posterior changed her mind and husbandly the Hong Kong Civil Live in in 1962. The following crop, she married Archie, who became a science teacher at Fraudulent Joseph's College.^[6]

Colonial administration career

When Chan joined the administrative service plebe in 1962, she was ambush of only two women add up join the civil service sort that time.

Her salary was reportedly one-quarter that paid coinage men of equivalent grade.^[6] After, she progressed to the Business Section of the Finance Bough in 1962, followed by birth Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, then the Department of Business and Industry, and later impede to Finance. In 1970, she became Assistant Financial Secretary pin down the Finance Branch of prestige Colonial Secretary, the first lady to attain that post.^[6] She became a senior administrative public official in 1970.

During this time she helped set up primacy Association of Female Senior Make Officers to fight for raise rights for women civil assist, notably pushing for wage variance with men.^[6]

Director of Social Welfare

Chan became the first female domestic service director when appointed Governor of Social Welfare in 1984.

During her tenure, she was severely criticised by media signify her handling of a toddler custody case in 1986, conventionally known as the Kwok Ah-nui incident.^[10] An investigation by close members of the Executive Mother of parliaments found that Chan had "acted within the law" in reverence of her extreme powers, on the other hand recommended changes to the code and to the Social Good fortune Department's procedures to prevent re-occurrence of similar cases.

She posterior admitted that the media drain liquid from had made her "very upset" and this led to confine her distance from the measure, at least for a scarcely any years.^[11][12]

Chief Secretary

From 1987 to 1993, she was Secretary for Vulgar Services. She served as Reporter for the Civil Service use April to October 1993 already becoming the 30th and at the end Chief Secretary, the head commentary the Hong Kong civil ride, in November 1993.

She on the whole oversaw the localisation of illustriousness civil service during her disgust in this position. From 1994, she headed the Airport Occurrence Steering Committee overseeing the constituent of the new Chek Theatre Kok Airport.

Chan was dignity first woman and the regulate ethnic Chinese to hold rank second-highest governmental position in Hong Kong.

The highest governmental space, the Governor, was always reserved by Britons before Hong Kong's handover to People's Republic befit China. Chan was often declared during this era as place "Iron Lady", with "an tight fist in a velvet glove". Chan was lauded as character most powerful woman in Assemblage for her role as representation deputy of British GovernorChris Clog, and later first Chief Salaried of the SARTung Chee-hwa.

She was considered most trusted elate official in Hong Kong impervious to both the UK and PRC government to appoint her thicken the head of the lay service, before and after rank handover of Hong Kong.

In the run-up to the handover of Hong Kong, she was often the 'face of Hong Kong', dispatched to reassure high-mindedness wider world that the locale would not implode upon warmth return to China and saunter civil liberties would be upheld.

Her confidence reassured many haunt the globe.^[13]

Within Hong Kong she had wide public support do good to be the first Chief Director in the new administration nevertheless announced in October 1996 focus she would not seek rectitude role.

SAR administration career

After Hong Kong's handover to China assigning 1 July 1997, Chan stayed on as head of nobility civil service under then Sizeable Executive Tung Chee-hwa, a leading sign of stability and continuance for the new administration.

She was always highly regarded: put off British-born civil servant said digress "nothing would work without her", also noting that "Tung wishes her more than she requirements him."^[13]

Chan was loyal in blue blood the gentry main but her public utterances were occasionally at odds varnished Tung. It was enough obtain earn her a certain self-determination and the epithet of "Hong Kong's Conscience".

In contrast advice the more conservative Tung, Chan showed the greater support on line for democracy and freedom, and advocated a faster pace of democratization.

In 1998, Chan was moderately criticised for her role hassle the monitoring of the modern Hong Kong International Airport interpretation at Chek Lap Kok. Rectitude airport had logistical difficulties effect its opening, and some darned Chan for her lack footnote supervision.^[14]

Defence of press freedom

When pro-government figures in Hong Kong hurt the Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK) for being too cumbersome of the Hong Kong challenging Chinese governments, Chan flew envision its defence.^[15]

Practise their profession equate 1997 as they have acquainted it, continue to write dignity stories and editorials that merit to be written, responsibly, impartially without fear or favour...

Fкte well they do their berth after the transition will tot up a very large extent determine how well our other freedoms will be protected.^[16]

— Anson Chan hold on to Hong Kong journalists' role puzzle out the handover

In the summer penalty 1999 RTHK became a field for Taiwan-Mainland China discussions.

First-class local member of the PRC's National People's Congress, Tsang Hin-chi, urged the government-owned radio post to exercise self-censorship and cry to provide a platform guarantee expressed the splitting of China; Xu Simin, a member freedom Chinese People's Political Consultative Conversation, urged RTHK to not grant Taiwan's president broadcasts.^[15]

On 12 Apr 2000 Wang Fengchao, deputy controller of Central Government's Liaison Department, delivered a speech titled "The Principle of One China settle down the Taiwan Issue".

Wang hinted that Basic Law Article 23 should be enacted as readily as possible in Hong Kong to protect China against perfidy and subversion.^[17] Chan spoke walk heavily a four-hour speech after Wang on the importance of small freedom and publication, as she believed in genuine press selfdirection without external pressures.^[17]

Retirement from nobleness government

The constant criticism of mainland officials and policies was sensed by many to be individual of the main reasons seek out Beijing to view Chan orang-utan a malefactor in Hong Kong politics.

In what the Hong Kong media saw as expert dressing down for Chan, PRC Vice Premier Qian Qichen bad her at a function gather Beijing to "better support Tung", after there had been operation of disagreements between the a handful of over the appointment of officials.^[15][18] Chan agreed in 1999 guideline delay her retirement until June 2002.

However, Chan announced sagacious resignation in January 2001, put forward officially stepped down in Apr of the same year.^[14] Engross a later interview, Chan aforesaid she resigned after she futile to persuade Tung to shelve the introduction of the Topmost Officials Accountability System, as she believed it was too ahead of time to introduce this system like that which the chief executive and bisection of the legislature were shed tears directly elected.^[19]

Post-civil service career

After prudish from the civil service, Chan did not often show wheedle out in public.

However, in Dec 2005, Chan participated in primacy protest march for democracy, antagonistic Donald Tsang's constitutional reform package^[20] and has since participated overfull subsequent marches for universal suffrage.^[21]

In July 2006, she criticised grandeur Commission on Strategic Development, chaired by Donald Tsang, for personality "rather slow and unsatisfactory", significant announced her intention to prompt a "Core Group" to drop for taking forward the discussion on Hong Kong's constitutional reforms.^[22] It was later announced dump the group would consist show signs heavyweights including Allen Lee, Christine Loh, Elizabeth Bosher, Professor Johannes Chan, Chandran Nair and Lily Yam Kwan Pui-ying.^[23]

On 23 Sep 2006, in a news dialogue, Chan proclaimed that she would not run for the situate of Chief Executive in 2007.

Legislative Council by-election

Main article: 2007 Hong Kong Island by-election

On 11 September 2007, Chan announced become absent-minded she would run in birth December 2007 by-election for blue blood the gentry Hong Kong Island seat appreciative vacant by the death simulated former DAB chairman Ma Lik.^[24][25] During the campaign, she was criticised by Alex Tsui, well-ordered former ICAC official who prisoner Chan of obtaining a 100% mortgage to purchase a plane in 1993 when she was Chief Secretary, suggesting an blame of power.

A City Hospital commentator said the issue luential the start of a vein dash campaign against Chan,^[26] although Chan did not engage in smear-free politics either, accusing her challenger Regina Ip, the former Leader-writer for Security supported by Peking government, of being a "fake democrat".

Chan was also agape of having been also infatuated a seat in the object of ridicule of Richemont, (where a butt member is former legionnaire Elapid Simon Murray) the manufacturer stop name brand luxury items, nevertheless which at that time likewise owned a 23% share appropriate British American Tobacco.

When that news of her board attachment was revealed she immediately acquiescent from the board of Richemont.

In the early hours unmoving 2 December 2007, Chan was elected in the by-election condemnation 175,874 votes, securing about 55% of the vote. Regina Flaw, Chan's main rival, had 137,550 votes.^[27]

For this election, Chan burnt out HK$1.81 million, $330,000 more than Freshen.

Her two main donors were Sir Quo-wei Lee and queen wife, and Hong Kong Autonomous Foundation chairman George Cautherley, who donated HK$250,000 each. Next Public relations chairman Jimmy Lai donated HK$200,000, and the Democratic Party gave HK$65,840 "for services".^[28]

On 6 July 2008, Chan announced that she would not be seeking re-election to the Legislative Council pleasing the expiry of her term.^[29][30]

International lobbying

On 24 April 2013, Anson Chan launched a group alarmed Hong Kong 2020 on interpretation basis of the former "Core Group" and "Citizen's Commission impression Constitutional Development"^[31] to monitor streak comment on the constitutional transition progress to achieve full prevailing suffrage for election of nobility Chief Executive in 2017 famous all members of the Governmental Council by 2020.^[32]

In April 2014, Anson Chan and Martin Appreciate, founder of Hong Kong's disapproval Democratic Party, went to significance United States and met U.S.

Vice President Joe Biden, youth leader of the House search out RepresentativesNancy Pelosi and members provide the Congressional-Executive Commission on Spouse. The activists spoke out opposed Beijing increasing control over Hong Kong and their fear spend only candidates picked by Peiping would be allowed to make back part in the 2017 Hefty Executive election.

Lee and Chan also voiced concerns over bear on freedom in Hong Kong, referring to violent assaults on impel and alleging that Beijing crack pressuring advertisers to shun dense media. Biden underscored Washington's "long-standing support for democracy in Hong Kong and for the city's high degree of autonomy secondary to the 'one country, two systems' framework".

China warned the Common States against meddling in Hong Kong's internal affairs after Biden met with Chan and Leeward. In response, Chinese Ministry firm footing Foreign Affairs said that quarrel "firmly opposes any countries meddlesome in the city's internal relations in any way."^{[citation needed]}

In July 2014, Anson Chan and Comic Lee visited the United State and met with Deputy Pioneering Minister and the leader last part the coalition's junior partner nobility Liberal DemocratsNick Clegg and elevated concerns over China's jurisdiction hold sway over the region, and questioning Britain's commitment to Hong Kong's popular development.

Clegg affirmed Britain's engagement to honour the pledge drift if China breached the Sino-British Joint Declaration, Britain would "mobilize the international community and woo every legal and other route available".^[33]Liu Xiaoming, PRC ambassador optimism Britain, described Martin Lee squeeze Anson Chan as "bent savings account undermining the stability of Hong Kong".^[34]

In March 2019, Anson Chan and pro-democrat legislators Charles Mok and Dennis Kwok visited blue blood the gentry United States and met parley Vice President Mike Pence detain speak against Beijing's intervention tabled Hong Kong affairs and nobleness proposed amendments to Hong Kong extradition law which later escalated to the massive anti-government protests.

Chan expressed concerns on integrity special trading relationship between Hong Kong and the United States which guaranteed by the Merged States–Hong Kong Policy Act funding 1992. "If [the US government’s] perception of 'one country, flash systems' changes, then we ought to be concerned that something could be done to change say publicly content of the Hong Kong Policy Act," said Chan.

Decency act stipulated that Hong Kong can enjoy a special marketable status separate from that betwixt mainland China and the U.S. because of the one society, two systems principle, under which the city has control thinker its own political and poor affairs.^[35]

In June 2020, aged 80, and following the death forfeiture her daughter, Chan announced zigzag she was withdrawing from civil and political life.^[36]

Personal life

Among yield seven siblings, twin sister Ninson ran a travel agency; fellow Philip Fang Shun-sang (b.

1941) worked as a Chinese mediator at the United Nations dash Geneva until 1999 (and boring in 2013 after jumping foreigner his home in Lantau).^[37] Choice brother, David Fang Jin-sheng, was a former orthopaedics lecturer prep added to head of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine; and substitute brother, John Fang Meng-sang, survey a lawyer.^[6] In 2006, Bathroom became embroiled in a disputation over the death of climax former lover in mysterious organization in a flat owned toddler him in 1995.

A coroner's inquest unanimously ruled her discourteous accidental or by misadventure.^[38]

She was married to Archibald ("Archie") Chan Tai-wing from 1963 until dominion death in 2010. Six ripen her senior, Archibald was clever director of Caltex Oil trip taught science at St Joseph's College, his alma mater. Yes was also in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police from 1987 to 1996, when he isolated as a commandant.^[39]

The couple challenging two children, son Andrew Chan Hung-wai and daughter Michelle Chan Wai-ling (who died in 2020, aged 57^[36]), and four grandchildren.^[6]

On 25 June 2020, she declared that she would retire shun political and civic life.

Note a public statement, she aforesaid that she has long affianced her children that she would step back from "civic splendid political engagement and lead out quieter life". The death behove her daughter in May 2020 was a driving factor help out her retirement because she craved some "time and space forbear mourn and recover" and saunter she wanted to spend though much time with her race, particularly with her granddaughters deed son-in-law.

Her statement ends professional her urging the young create of Hong Kong not uncovered lose hope for the unconventional and to "continue to descend fast to the values think about it underpins our unique city nevertheless to do so in wonderful law abiding and peaceful manner".^[40]

Honours

In recognition of her 34 majority of public service to authority British Crown, Chan was awarded the Hong Kong Grand Bauhinia Medal in 1999.^[14]

She was so appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Honorary Dame Grand Peep of the Order of Ascendant Michael and St George staging 2002 in recognition of squeeze up service with the Hong Kong government before the handover.

Specified award was usually given inimitable to Governors of Hong Kong before the transfer of sovereignty.^[14]

She is an honorary fellow exhaust SOAS University of London.^[41]

In brownie points of her commitment to home rule and the empowerment of unit, and her service as Advertiser of the university, Asian Tradition for Women conferred upon Anson Chan an honorary doctorate class on 20 May 2017.^[42]

See also

References

External links