39 Facts About Anson Chan

Anson Chan Fang was born in Shanghai into an affluent family in 1940.

Anson Chan's father Fang Shin-hau was a banker and textile businessman who moved his family to the British colony of Hong Kong in 1948 on the eve of the Communist victory of the Chinese Civil War.

Fang Shin-hau died suddenly in 1950 aged 36 when Anson Chan was only ten, leaving eight children to her mother Fang Zhaoling.

Anson Chan's mother took the eldest sons off to England to oversee their education, leaving the rest in the hands of Anson Chan's paternal grandmother and some uncles and aunts.

Anson Chan's paternal grandfather, Fang Zhenwu, was a Kuomintang general who fought in the Second Sino-Japanese War, while her uncle, Sir Harry Fang Sin-yang was a well-known orthopaedic surgeon and served as an appointed member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 1974 to 1985.

Anson Chan's mother Fang Zhaoling who was a Chinese painting master not only shouldered the responsibility of raising her children, but tried to pursue her career as an artist.

Anson Chan was educated at the Sacred Heart Canossian College and studied English literature at the University of Hong Kong.

Anson Chan put herself through university by working as a private tutor and for a year as a clerk at Queen Mary Hospital.

Anson Chan began work on a social work diploma, but later changed her mind and joined the Hong Kong Civil Service in 1962.

Anson Chan's salary was reportedly one-quarter that paid to men of equivalent grade.

Anson Chan became the first female civil service director when appointed Director of Social Welfare in 1984.

An investigation by unofficial members of the Executive Council found that Anson Chan had "acted within the law" in respect of her extreme powers, but recommended changes to the law and to the Social Welfare Department's procedures to prevent re-occurrence of similar cases.

Anson Chan later admitted that the media pressure had made her "very upset" and this led to keep her distance from the press, at least for a few years.

Anson Chan served as Secretary for the Civil Service from April to October 1993 before becoming the 30th and last Chief Secretary, the head of the Hong Kong civil service, in November 1993.

Anson Chan mainly oversaw the localisation of the civil service during her time in this position.

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

Anson Chan was often described during this era as an "Iron Lady", with "an iron fist in a velvet glove".

Anson Chan was lauded as the most powerful woman in Asia for her role as the deputy of British Governor Chris Patten, and later first Chief Executive of the SAR Tung Chee-hwa.

Anson Chan was considered most trusted high official in Hong Kong by both the UK and PRC government to appoint her to the head of the civil service, before and after the handover of Hong Kong.

Anson Chan was loyal in the main but her public utterances were occasionally at odds with Tung.

In contrast to the more conservative Tung, Anson Chan showed the greater support for democracy and advocated a faster pace of democratisation.

In 1998, Anson Chan was somewhat criticised for her role in the monitoring of the new Hong Kong International Airport construction at Chek Lap Kok.

When pro-government figures in Hong Kong attacked the Radio Television Hong Kong for being too critical of the Hong Kong and Chinese governments, Anson Chan flew to its defence.

Anson Chan spoke in a four-hour speech after Wang on the importance of press freedom and publication, as she believed in genuine press freedom without external pressures.

Anson Chan agreed in 1999 to delay her retirement until June 2002.

However, Anson Chan announced her resignation in January 2001, and officially stepped down in April of the same year.

However, in December 2005, Anson Chan participated in the protest march for democracy, against Donald Tsang's constitutional reform package and has since participated in subsequent marches for universal suffrage.

On 23 September 2006, in a news conference, Anson Chan proclaimed that she would not run for the position of Chief Executive in 2007.

On 11 September 2007, Anson Chan announced that she would run in the December 2007 by-election for the Hong Kong Island seat made vacant by the death of former DAB chairman Ma Lik.

On 6 July 2008, Anson Chan announced that she would not be seeking re-election to the Legislative Council at the expiry of her term.

On 24 April 2013, Anson Chan launched a group called Hong Kong 2020 on the basis of the former "Core Group" and "Citizen's Commission on Constitutional Development" to monitor and comment on the constitutional reform progress to achieve full universal suffrage for election of the Chief Executive in 2017 and all members of the Legislative Council by 2020.

Lee and Anson Chan voiced concerns over press freedom in Hong Kong, referring to violent assaults on journalists and alleging that Beijing is pressuring advertisers to shun critical media.

In June 2020, aged 80, and following the death of her daughter, Anson Chan announced that she was withdrawing from civic and political life.

Anson Chan was married to Archibald Chan Tai-wing from 1963 until his death in 2010.

Anson Chan was in the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police from 1987 to 1996, when he retired as a commandant.

Anson Chan's statement ends with her urging the young people of Hong Kong not to lose hope for the future and to "continue to hold fast to the values that underpins our unique city but to do so in a law abiding and peaceful manner".

In recognition of her 34 years of public service to the British Crown, Anson Chan was awarded the Hong Kong Grand Bauhinia Medal in 1999.

Anson Chan was then appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2002 in recognition of her service with the Hong Kong government before the handover.

Anson Chan is an honorary fellow of SOAS University of London.