Donald Tsang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Sir Donald Tsang GBM KBE
曾蔭權
Tsang in 2012
2nd Chief Executive of Hong Kong
In office 21 June 2005 – 30 June 2012
President	Hu Jintao
Premier	Wen Jiabao
Preceded by	Tung Chee-hwa
Succeeded by	Leung Chun-ying
Chief Secretary for Administration
In office 1 May 2001 – 31 May 2005
Chief Executive	Tung Chee-hwa
Preceded by	Anson Chan
Succeeded by	Rafael Hui
Financial Secretary of Hong Kong
In office 1 July 1997 – 30 April 2001
Chief Executive	Tung Chee-hwa
Succeeded by	Anthony Leung
In office 1 September 1995 – 30 June 1997
Governor	Chris Patten
Preceded by	Hamish Macleod
Secretary for the Treasury
In office 7 May 1993 – 31 March 1995
Governor	Chris Patten
Preceded by	Yeung Kai-yin
Succeeded by	Kwong Ki-chi
Personal details
Born	Tsang Yam Kuen (1944-10-07) 7 October 1944 (age 80) Hong Kong
Political party	Independent
Spouse	Selina Pou Siu-mei ​ (m. 1969)​
Children	2
Residences	111 Mount Butler Road, Jardine's Lookout
Education	Wah Yan College Harvard University (MPA)
Profession	Politician, Civil Servant
Origin	Namhoi, Kwangtung
Signature

Sir Donald Tsang Yam Kuen (born 7 October 1944) is a former important public official in Hong Kong. He served as the second Chief Executive of Hong Kong from 2005 to 2012. This is like being the leader of the Hong Kong government.

Tsang started his career in the government service in 1967. He worked in different areas like local administration, finance, and trade. In 1995, he became the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong. He was the first Chinese person to hold this job while Hong Kong was under British rule. After 1997, he continued to work for the Hong Kong government. He became well-known for helping to protect the Hong Kong dollar during the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

In 2001, Tsang became the Chief Secretary for Administration. This is the second highest position in the government. He ran for Chief Executive in 2005 after the previous leader, Tung Chee-hwa, resigned. Tsang was elected and served the rest of Tung's term. He was then re-elected in 2007 and served a full five-year term until 2012. During his time as Chief Executive, he suggested new ways to change how Hong Kong's government works. He also started many large building projects.

Early Life and Career

Donald Tsang was born in Hong Kong on 7 October 1944. His father was a police officer. He grew up in the Hollywood Road Police Married Quarters. After finishing high school at Wah Yan College, Hong Kong, he worked as a salesman for a short time.

In January 1967, Tsang joined the government as an Executive Officer. This job involves helping to manage different parts of the government. He worked on many topics, including finance and trade. In 1977, he spent a year working at the Asian Development Bank in the Philippines. He helped with projects like water supply and railway development. Later, in 1981, the government sent him to Harvard University in the United States. There, he earned a master's degree in public administration.

From 1985 to 1989, Tsang helped with the Sino-British Joint Declaration. This agreement decided that Hong Kong would return to China in 1997. In 1989, he became the Director of Administration. This role meant he helped make sure the government ran smoothly. In 1991, he became the Director-General of Trade. He was in charge of all trade talks and rules for Hong Kong. In May 1993, he was promoted to Secretary for the Treasury. In this job, he managed how the government spent money and collected taxes.

Financial Secretary Role

In September 1995, Tsang became the Financial Secretary. He was the first Chinese person to hold this important financial position in 150 years. He continued in this role after Hong Kong returned to China on 1 July 1997. Before the handover, he was honored by Prince Charles in June 1997.

As Financial Secretary, Tsang talked about "caring capitalism" in 1996. This idea meant that the government would focus on making the economy grow first. Then, it would use the new wealth to improve social services and welfare. Hong Kong's government spending grew steadily. This was because the government had strong income and extra money in its budget.

Tsang is well-known for his actions during the 1997 Asian financial crisis in 1998. He worked with Joseph Yam from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. They bought a lot of Hong Kong stocks to protect the Hong Kong dollar's value against the US dollar. This action helped to stop financial attacks and made Tsang famous around the world.

Chief Secretary Role

In 2001, Tsang became the Chief Secretary for Administration. This is the second most powerful job in the Hong Kong government. He took over from Anson Chan.

As Chief Secretary, Donald Tsang's main task was to lead a "Team Clean Campaign." This campaign aimed to clean up the city in May 2003 after the SARS outbreak. Even though he was not in charge of all major policies, Tsang remained very popular with the public.

Becoming Chief Executive

On 11 March 2005, the Chief Executive at the time, Tung Chee-hwa, resigned due to health reasons. Tsang became the acting Chief Executive the next day. Many people thought Beijing wanted Tsang to be the next leader. On 25 May 2005, Tsang resigned as Chief Secretary. He then announced on 2 June 2005 that he would run for Chief Executive.

He was the only candidate and was elected by the 800-member Election Committee on 16 June 2005. The central government officially appointed him as Chief Executive on 21 June 2005. He served the remaining two years of Tung Chee-hwa's term.

Chief Executive: First Term (2005–07)

In the early months of his first term, Tsang had a good relationship with some pro-democracy lawmakers. He even invited all 60 members of the Legislative Council to visit Guangdong in mainland China. This was the first time many pro-democracy members could visit since 1989.

Government Reforms

In December 2005, Tsang's government suggested changes to how elections would work. The plan was to make the 800-member Election Committee bigger, with 1,600 members. It also suggested adding 10 seats to the Legislative Council in 2008. Five of these would be directly elected by people, and five would be elected by District Councillors. The government said this was the best plan they could make at the time. However, the proposal did not get enough votes from the Legislative Council and failed.

Improving Air Quality

In mid-2006, Tsang started the "Action Blue Sky Campaign." This campaign aimed to clean up the air pollution in Hong Kong. It also involved working with the nearby Guangdong province to improve air quality together.

Chief Executive: Second Term (2007–12)

Tsang decided to run for a second term on 1 February 2007. His campaign slogan was "I'll get the job done." He received nominations from 641 out of 796 Election Committee members. This meant he was almost guaranteed to win. He faced a challenge from Alan Leong, a pro-democracy lawmaker.

Tsang was re-elected on 25 March 2007 with 649 votes. Leong received 123 votes. This election was important because it was the first time two candidates from different political groups competed for Chief Executive. They even had debates, which changed Hong Kong's political discussions.

Five-Year Plan for Hong Kong

Donald Tsang meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the APEC Australia 2007.

After being re-elected in 2007, Tsang announced a five-year plan for Hong Kong. He wanted to promote "progressive development." This meant improving the city by bringing old buildings back to life and boosting the economy with big building projects. He suggested ten large projects to help Hong Kong's economy and living environment. These included:

• New MTR lines like the Southern District Extension and Sha Tin to Central Link.
• Major bridges and roads like the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge.
• New development areas and cultural projects like the West Kowloon Cultural District.

Protecting Old Buildings

During Tsang's time, there were many protests about tearing down old buildings like the Star Ferry Pier and the Queen's Pier. In response, Tsang created an office to protect heritage. He also set aside money to restore historic buildings. He suggested projects to make Central district more lively, such as turning the Central Market into a conserved area and changing the Murray Building into a hotel.

New Political System

In 2008, Tsang's government introduced the Political Appointments System. This system added new layers of politically appointed officials. There was some public concern about this system, including how officials were chosen and their pay. Tsang later apologized for the issues. This controversy led to a drop in his public popularity.

Economic Challenges

After the 2008 global financial crisis, many people lost their jobs, especially in banking. On 8 December 2008, Tsang announced plans to create 60,000 jobs in 2009. He did this by speeding up building projects and increasing loans for small and medium businesses. His government also formed a special group to deal with the economic problems. Tsang suggested focusing on six new economic areas:

• Testing and certification
• Medical services
• Innovation and technology
• Cultural and creative industries
• Environmental industry
• Educational services

The government promised to support these areas. Hong Kong's economy recovered quickly from 2010 onwards.

High-Speed Rail Link

In 2009, the government proposed building the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. This project caused some concern because of its high cost and its impact on a village called Choi Yuen. Many people protested against the rail link in late 2009 and early 2010. Despite the protests, the government approved the project. The Legislative Council approved the funding for the project on 16 January 2010.

2012 Government Reforms

In November 2009, Tsang's government proposed more electoral reforms for the 2012 elections. To show their opposition, five pro-democracy lawmakers resigned. They hoped this would lead to a special election across Hong Kong, which they called a "Five Constituencies Referendum." They wanted to push for everyone to have the right to vote for their leaders.

The government worked hard to get support for its reform plan. Tsang himself campaigned, giving interviews and meeting people. He even had a televised debate with a pro-democracy lawmaker, Audrey Eu. The central government later changed its mind and supported a modified proposal from the Democratic Party. With the support of moderate pro-democracy lawmakers, the reforms were approved by the Legislative Council. This was the first and only time such electoral reforms have passed in Hong Kong's history.

Minimum Wage Law

During his term, there was a growing gap between rich and poor people. To address this, Tsang set up a commission in February 2009 to study and suggest a minimum wage. The Minimum Wage Bill became law on 15 July 2010. A minimum wage of HK$28 per hour was suggested and approved on 10 November 2010.

Personal Life

Donald Tsang and his wife, Selina, Lady Tsang, in 2008.

Donald Tsang is the oldest of five sons and one daughter. His younger brother, Tsang Yam-pui, was the Police Commissioner until 2003. His younger sister, Katherine Tsang, leads Standard Chartered Hong Kong. Donald Tsang married Selina Pou Siu-mei in 1969. They have two sons, Simon and Thomas.

Tsang is a devoted Roman Catholic. He goes to Mass every morning. He is well known for always wearing bow-ties. People in Hong Kong often call him "Bow-tie Tsang." He started wearing them because a colleague gave him one, and he found it comfortable.

Tsang enjoys keeping koi fish. He had a special pond built for them at his official home, Government House. His other hobbies include swimming, watching birds, and hiking.

Images for kids

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  Donald Tsang's signature

See also

In Spanish: Donald Tsang para niños