00:01Tung Chihua, Hong Kong's first chief executive after the territory's return to Chinese rule in 1997, died on Tuesday night
00:10at the age of 89, according to a statement from his office issued early Wednesday.
00:15The statement said Tung died surrounded by his loved ones.
00:21Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 after more than 150 years of British rule.
00:27A Shanghai-born former shipping tycoon with no political experience, Tung was handpicked by Beijing to lead the territory after
00:35the handover.
00:36He served as Hong Kong's first chief executive from 1997 to 2005, stepping down before completing his second term.
00:45In 2003, Tung sought to introduce national security legislation under Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law.
00:53The proposal triggered mass protests, with critics warning that it threatened the city's autonomy and was subsequently shelved.
01:01Amid mounting criticism of his administration, Tung resigned in 2005, citing ill health.
01:07He was succeeded by Donald Tsang in June that year.
01:11Tung later served as vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, CPPCC, and founded the Our Hong Kong
01:20Foundation, a think tank focused on the city's long-term development.
01:25The
01:26and
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