‘Staunch patriot, close friend’: Beijing official hails Tung Chee-hwa’s legacy

Hong Kong’s first post-colonial leader, Tung Chee-hwa, has been lauded as a pioneer of “one country, two systems”, a staunch patriot and a close friend of the Chinese Communist Party who also contributed to US-China relations, according to a eulogy delivered by a senior Beijing official.

In his remarks at Tung’s state funeral on Sunday, seen by the South China Morning Post, Shi Taifeng – a Politburo member and first vice-chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s top political advisory body – hailed Tung’s role in supporting the government in quelling the 2019 social unrest and in safeguarding national security.

“He always put the national interest first and throughout his life upheld the belief that patriotism is natural,” Shi, who visited the city as chairman of Tung’s funeral committee, said.

“His patriotism is in all sincerity and his love for Hong Kong is profound; he has a broad vision and a staunch stance. He is a practitioner and contributor to the great cause of ‘one country, two systems’.”