Tung Chee-hwa's funeral: Will HK see a third state funeral?

Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong's first Chief Executive and former vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, passed away at the age of 89. As a former vice-national leader, attention has turned to whether he will receive a state funeral.

Hong Kong has seen at least two state funerals in its history, for the late CPPCC vice chairmen Ann Tse-kai and Henry Fok Ying-tung.

Ann Tse-kai: Hong Kong's first state funeral

Ann Tse-kai settled in Hong Kong in 1949 and was a founder of several textile companies, including South China Bleaching and Dyeing Factory, Soco Textiles and Winner Textiles. He served on the boards of Shaw Brothers, TVB, Shanghai Commercial Bank and Hutchison Whampoa. He was a member of the Standing Committee of the sixth and seventh CPPCC National Committee and vice chairman of the eighth and ninth CPPCC National Committee.

In the lead-up to Hong Kong's handover, Ann played a key role as deputy director of the Basic Law Drafting Committee and director of the Basic Law Consultative Committee. When he passed away in 2000, his funeral was conducted at the highest level and became the first state funeral in Hong Kong's history.

Henry Fok: A state funeral for a patriotic businessman

Henry Fok, a prominent Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist, was vice chairman of the eighth, ninth and tenth CPPCC National Committee. He was known for his contributions to the 1950s blockade-running effort to supply China during the Korean War and his pioneering investments in the mainland after the reform and opening-up began in 1978.

Fok was also a pioneer in Hong Kong's property market, having invented the practice of selling flats off-plan and introducing instalment payment plans . He was among the first Hong Kong businessmen to invest in the mainland after the reform and opening-up . In 1979, he invested HK$200 million to build the White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou, which became China's first joint-venture five-star hotel and was visited multiple times by national leaders .

Fok passed away in 2006 and was given a state funeral in recognition of his lifelong dedication to the nation. His coffin was draped with the national flag, with Tung Chee-hwa among the ten pallbearers

What qualifies for a state funeral?

A state funeral in Hong Kong is typically reserved for individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the nation and Hong Kong. The decision is made at the central government level. Tung Chee-hwa's long service as Hong Kong's first Chief Executive and his subsequent role as CPPCC vice chairman have led to speculation that he may receive similar honours.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓