Antony Leung facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Antony Leung Kam-chung GBS, OBE, JP
梁錦松
2nd Financial Secretary of Hong Kong
In office 29 May 2001 – 16 July 2003
Preceded by	Donald Tsang
Succeeded by	Henry Tang
Personal details
Born	(1952-01-29) 29 January 1952 (age 73) British Hong Kong
Spouse	Fu Mingxia
Alma mater	Ying Wa College University of Hong Kong
Occupation	Politician, investment banker
Signature

Antony Leung Kam-chung (born 29 January 1952) is a well-known businessman from Hong Kong. He served as the Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). This important role meant he was in charge of Hong Kong's money matters. He held this position from May 2001 until July 2003.

During his time in office, he faced a situation where people questioned his actions. He had bought a new car shortly before a new car tax was announced. This led to a discussion about whether his personal actions affected his public duties. This event caused him to resign from his role.

Today, Mr. Leung is the Chairman of Nan Fung Group. He is also a chairman and co-founder of New Frontier Group.

Education and Early Life

Antony Leung grew up and went to school in Hong Kong. He attended Ying Wa College for his high school education. Later, he studied at The University of Hong Kong. There, he earned a degree in Social Sciences, focusing on economics and statistics.

During his university years, he was very active in student groups. He was also interested in political topics. He continued his studies later at Harvard Business School. He completed special programs in management development. In 1998, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. This was from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Career Before Government

Mr. Leung began his career in banking. He started as a currency trader. For 23 years, he worked at Citicorp, a big bank. He held important management jobs in different areas of banking. These roles took him to cities like Hong Kong, New York, and Singapore.

He then moved to Chase Manhattan Corporation in 1996. He quickly rose to become the Asia-Pacific chairman. This meant he oversaw all of their operations in the Asia-Pacific region. Before joining the government, he was very involved in public service. He was part of the Executive Council. He also led the Education Commission, working on education reforms.

As Financial Secretary

Antony Leung became the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong on 1 May 2001. This job is like being the chief financial officer for the entire city.

One of his first actions was to suggest changes to government workers' salaries. He proposed a small cut to help manage government spending. After some discussion, a smaller cut was put into law. He also believed the government should balance its budget. This means making sure the government doesn't spend more money than it earns. He thought this was important for Hong Kong's economic stability.

In September 2002, new HK$10 banknotes were released. This was done to help with issues related to fake 10-dollar coins. The new notes had special features to make them harder to copy.

Boosting the Economy

After the SARS outbreak, Hong Kong's economy needed a boost. Mr. Leung was in charge of finding ways to help. He helped launch several projects, including the "Harbour Fest." This was a big event meant to bring people and money back to Hong Kong. It featured many artists, including famous international bands.

After he left office, there were some questions about how the Harbour Fest was organized. However, the main goal was to help Hong Kong's economy recover.

Economic Partnership with China

Before he resigned, Mr. Leung signed an important agreement. It was called the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA). This agreement was made with mainland China. Many believed it would help Hong Kong's economy grow. It aimed to make trade and business easier between Hong Kong and China.

After Government Service

After leaving his government role, Antony Leung returned to the private business world. He served as the chairman of Blackstone Group's Asian office in Hong Kong. Blackstone is a very large investment company. He still works as a senior advisor for them.

Since 2014, Mr. Leung has been the chairman of Nan Fung Group. This company is involved in property and finance in Hong Kong. He is also a co-founder and chairman of New Frontier Group. This company invests in healthcare, education, and internet businesses.

He also spends time helping charities. He is the chairman of the board for the Hong Kong branch of Heifer International. This organization works to end hunger and poverty.

See also

• List of graduates of University of Hong Kong
• Politics of Hong Kong

Sources

• "How events unfolded", Hong Kong Standard, 16 December 2003.