Hong Kong authorities are coordinating a state funeral for the city’s first chief executive, the late Tung Chee-hwa, the South China Morning Post has learned, honouring his legacy as a deputy national-level leader and his contributions to the “one country, two systems” framework.
A source familiar with the matter said “preparations were under way” and were being coordinated by the city government after Tung’s death on Tuesday at the age of 89.
Responding to queries from the SCMP, the government’s Administration Wing said on Thursday that it would announce relevant arrangements in due course.
Since the 1997 handover, only two prominent local figures have been granted state funerals: industrialist Ann Tse-kai in 2000 and tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung in 2006. Both held the rank of vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a position that Tung also held.
Lau Siu-kai, a consultant to the semi-official Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macau Studies think tank, said that as a deputy leader at the national level, Tung could have a funeral comparable to Fok’s.
He expected central government officials to be appointed to a funeral committee and attend the service for Tung, with state leaders sending wreaths.