45 Facts About Henry Tang

Henry Tang held the position of Financial Secretary from 2003 to 2007.

Henry Tang himself was born in what was then British Hong Kong in 1952.

Henry Tang went to Culford School in Suffolk in Britain before attending and graduating from Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

Henry Tang earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1975.

Henry Tang is commonly believed to have attended Graduate School at Yale University and to have obtained a master's degree in sociology.

Henry Tang has extensive ties with the central government of China as his father Henry Tang Hsiang Chien was a standing committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the advisory body to the National People's Congress.

Henry Tang was named Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in 1993 and won the Young Industrialist of Hong Kong award in 1989.

Henry Tang was a Committee Member of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and a Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Henry Tang was Chairman of the Provisional Construction Industry Co-ordination Board before joining the government.

Henry Tang was a member of the Executive Council from the transfer of sovereignty in 1997 to 2011.

Henry Tang served as a member of the Legislative Council for seven years from 1991 to 1998 as a member of the Liberal Party, a pro-business and pro-Beijing party, prior to joining the government.

Henry Tang has served extensively on various government boards and public bodies, including the Trade Development Council, Town Planning Board, University Grants Committee, and Council of the City University of Hong Kong.

Henry Tang took up his commerce post in July 2002 as part of a line-up of new secretaries aimed at improving the government's transparency.

Henry Tang was promoted from Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology to Financial Secretary on 4 August 2003 replacing Antony Leung.

Henry Tang briefly served as acting chief executive after Tung Chee Hwa, the former chief executive who resigned citing health reasons.

Henry Tang served as Acting Chief Executive of HKSAR soon after Tsang's resignation was announced.

Henry Tang was involved in the Harbour Fest controversy as Chairman of the Economic Relaunch Strategy Group responsible for pushing ahead with the plan to spend $100 million to revive the economy after SARS, and said that he should be held responsible.

Henry Tang had said that although Mike Rowse, a senior civil servant, had actually signed the contract, Rowse as such was not required to be held politically responsible.

However, during a Working Group meeting on 31 October 2003 and during an independent inquiry in May 2004, Henry Tang allegedly said Rowse had not acted improperly and that there had been no irregularity in the implementation of the event.

Henry Tang later withdrew the remark: just before a government inquiry opened in November 2004, Tang requested the ERWG minutes be deleted.

Henry Tang noted that Tang's attempt to shift political responsibility from himself, as the minister responsible, to a senior civil servant, was a travesty of justice for Rowse, and went against the Accountability System.

On 23 June 2007, it was announced that Henry Tang would succeed Rafael Hui as the new Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong effective 1 July 2007.

On 6 March 2010, Henry Tang attended a Youth Summit in Chai Wan organised by the Home Affairs Bureau.

Henry Tang said he was not a "post-80s" teen, but supported the highspeed rail protest connecting HK to Guangdong.

On 15 January 2011, Henry Tang gave a speech at the Roundtable Institute that included controversial comments about the Hong Kong post-80s generation.

Henry Tang said the young generations need to take responsibilities, and he cautioned them for slamming others because of opposing views.

Henry Tang further said young people should not close the door and act like emperors.

Henry Tang then smashed the car in front of Henry Tang to represent a fatal car crash.

From 13 February 2012, Hong Kong media reported unauthorised building works of Henry Tang's two adjoined residences at York Road, Kowloon Tong.

Henry Tang admitted at a press conference that he was aware of the construction of an illegal basement at his family house and said that it was his wife's idea.

Henry Tang's wife agreed that the responsibility was hers The admission followed several denials and provoked widespread criticism: "He has lost almost all his credibility, he lied every day," said Ma Ngok, a political sciences professor at the University of Hong Kong to AFP.

One former supporter said that it was 'unbearable' for Henry Tang to throw the blame onto his wife.

On 28 September 2011, in a widely trailed move, Henry Tang resigned from his post, and then in late November announced his candidacy for chief executive.

The Financial Times reported, on 23 October 2019, that Henry Tang was being considered as a replacement for Carrie Lam as Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

Henry Tang serves as the chairperson of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, which oversees the M+ museum of contemporary art.

In March 2021, Henry Tang said that the Authority would "definitely uphold the law and comply with the Basic Law, local laws and the national security law" in regards to art made by Ai Weiwei.

Henry Tang is married to Lisa Kuo Yu-chin and the couple have four children: three daughters and a son.

Henry Tang's father Henry Tang Hsiang Chien was a standing committee member of the CPPCC.

Henry Tang's brother, Tom Tang Chung-yen, is a member of the Trade Development Council, whose reappointment to the post by CY Leung, after he vanquished Tang to become chief executive in 2012, was seen as part of a reconciliation between the two camps.

Apple Daily found in October 2020 that Tom Henry Tang may have illegally violated land lease terms of an industrial site in Tai Po.

In February 2021, Henry Tang said that he has a high tendency for allergic reactions to influenza vaccinations, and thus would not take a mainland Chinese COVID-19 vaccine.

On 4 October 2011, in the midst of rumours about his extra-marital affair with Shirley Yuen, his administrative assistant when he was finance secretary of Hong Kong, Henry Tang issued a statement, in which he admitted that he had made a mistake in his romantic life in the past and he deeply regretted it.

Henry Tang's wife said in the statement that there had been difficult times in their relationship and that he has faults, but that she appreciated his strengths.

In February 2012, several Chinese newspapers reported Henry Tang might have had a relationship with Esther Lam, the daughter of Heung Yee Kuk vice-chairman Daniel Lam Wai-keung.

Henry Tang denied the reports claiming "we are only casual acquaintances".