Hong Kong Knight: Zeng Yannian

Author: Hai Tang, Zhe Xi (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Dedicated, pragmatic, for Hong Kong! I guarantee I will serve Hong Kong with unwavering loyalty, with one heart and one purpose! The personal growth, struggles, and success of Tsang Tak-sing is a microcosm of Hong Kong's transformation into a prosperous society through trials and tribulations. His half-life experience embodies the typical growth journey of Hong Kong's elite and highlights the spirit of perseverance among Hong Kong people!
As a former salesman, Tsang Tak-sing became the only new Chief Executive of Hong Kong after securing the support of 674 out of 700 election committee members in the second election for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Chief Executive. This approachable and down-to-earth official garnered over 60% of public support in polls. Although he served in the-led SAR government for many years, Tsang was less prominent than his predecessors, the Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Administration. He maintained an excellent public image, often dressed in a suit and tie, but his most distinctive feature was wearing a bow tie instead of a regular tie.
A Harvard graduate, Tsang exuded an air of British aristocratic refinement in every gesture, earning him the nickname "Hong Kong Knight." Hong Kongers perceived him as diligent, hardworking, and adaptable. Despite his handsome and gentlemanly appearance, which made him a beloved figure among the elite, he often emphasized his background as a salesman. Coming from a modest social background, his rise from a junior civil servant to higher positions made him more inclined to be recognized for his integrity and unwavering principles.
The 1998 financial crisis hit Hong Kong, and the notorious financial speculator George Soros, with his sharp instincts, sought to gamble in the city. The ensuing battle between speculators and the SAR government, often referred to as the "War of the Whales," brought Tsang into the spotlight. Faced with the stock market's collapse due to speculators, the SAR government unexpectedly decided to intervene. The government bought whatever the "whales" sold, and after several rounds of trading, the SAR government gained the upper hand in this high-risk financial battle. Tsang was the mastermind behind this intervention.
After successfully countering the speculators, Tsang explained the necessity of the government's intervention to the public: "What the speculators took away was not just money but also the stability of Hong Kong's financial system and the confidence of its 7 million people." His words earned widespread acclaim, and his support rate rose to 65.1%, reaching an all-time high since the handover. As the Chief Executive of the SAR, Tsang must earn the trust of Hong Kongers to entrust them with their livelihoods.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Tsang once vowed, "I drink Hong Kong water and bleed Hong Kong blood—I will never do anything to betray Hong Kongers." His skill in persuasion, combined with his sincerity and kindness, won the support of the majority of the public. Once officially appointed by the central government, he will serve over 6 million Hong Kongers as his customers, boldly promoting his policy agenda. We have every reason to believe that the judgment of the nearly 7 million Hong Kongers will not fail, and under Tsang's leadership, the SAR government will build a more prosperous, stable, and developing metropolis in East Asia.
"Now, we take a new step forward," the opportunities and challenges of history and reality, the Eastern financial and economic hub, this pearl as a window for mainland China to the world, will also ride into a brighter future like this knight, galloping under the "green shade" of government authority.
Born into a poor family, he was once a salesman struggling to make a living. He served in various governments, rising through the ranks with a strong, pragmatic style. He once served as the Secretary for Administration, leading the entire civil service of Hong Kong. He said, "I am born of Hong Kong blood and drink Hong Kong water—I will never betray Hong Kongers." He declared, "Dedicated, pragmatic, for Hong Kong." He is a true "local product" among administrative elites and a legend in Hong Kong. He is the new Chief Executive of Hong Kong—the "Hong Kong Knight," Tsang Tak-sing!
This book chronicles the personal growth, struggles, and success of Tsang Tak-sing, a microcosm of Hong Kong's transformation into a prosperous society through trials and tribulations. His half-life experience embodies the typical growth journey of Hong Kong's elite and highlights the spirit of perseverance among Hong Kong people!
Biography of Tsang Tak-sing:
Tsang Tak-sing is the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Born on October 19, 1944, in Hong Kong. He graduated from the Preparatory Course of Wah Yan College in Hong Kong in 1964. In 1981, he studied at Harvard University in the United States and obtained a Master's degree in Public Administration.
Tsang joined the Hong Kong government in 1967 and held several key positions, primarily in finance and trade. He served as the Director of the Trade Department from 1991, the Financial Secretary from May 1993, and the Financial Secretary from September 1995, becoming the first Chinese to hold this important post. On July 1, 1997, the Central People's Government appointed Tsang as the first Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR, based on the nomination of then-Chief Executive. He was appointed Secretary for Administration in May 2001.
On March 12, 2005, after the State Council approved's resignation as Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR, Tsang served as Acting Chief Executive of the SAR as the Secretary for Administration, in accordance with the Basic Law of the SAR. On June 1, Tsang resigned as Secretary for Administration to run for the Chief Executive election, and his resignation was approved by the State Council. On June 16, he was elected as the new Chief Executive of the SAR. On June 21, the State Council held a full meeting and decided to appoint Tsang as Chief Executive of the SAR. He took the oath of office on June 24.
Tsang has been awarded honorary doctorates by The Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In 2002, he was awarded the Grand Bauhinia Medal of the Hong Kong SAR for "outstanding achievements in serving Hong Kong for many years."
Tsang is married to Tsang Po-sheuei, and they have two sons. During his campaign for Chief Executive, he once remarked: "I come from an ordinary Hong Kong family, like most Hong Kongers, I was once an ordinary student and a struggling salesman, and later became a public servant." He added, "If it were not for the return of Hong Kong to China and the implementation of 'one country, two systems' with a high degree of autonomy, and if it were not for the encouragement and trust of the central government and Hong Kongers, I would not have held a core position in the SAR government."