Background
Donald Tsang was born in 1944, Hong Kong.
荫权 曾
Donald Tsang was born in 1944, Hong Kong.
Tsang completed his secondary education at Wah Yan College in 1964, and in 1982 received a masters degree in public administration from Harvard University. Tsang has also received honorary degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and the University of Hong Kong.
Tsang has an extensive background in politics and finance. He began his career working in sales for the Pfizer Corporation, but felt the call of public service and joined the Hong Kong Civil Service in 1967. He held several positions in finance and trade, including senior administrative officer for the Asian Development Bank in Manila and administrative officer for the Island District Office. He was sponsored to attend Harvard University in 1981 and graduated with a master of public administration degree in 1982. Afterwards, Tsang continued working in the civil service and was appointed deputy secretary of the General Duties Branch from 1985 to 1989. In this position, he helped to implement the Sino-British Joint Declaration, ensuring the British handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997. Tsang then served as director-general of trade from 1991 to 1993 and led all trade negotiations and administration. He was subsequently promoted to secretary for the Treasury where he had considerable influence over the finances of Hong Kong, directing the taxation system among other things. He was then appointed as financial secretary in 1995, the first ethnic Chinese to hold the position under British rule.
Tsang became chief secretary for administration in 2001 under chief executive Tung Chee Hwa (Dong, Jianhua) after Anson Chan resigned. This position was the second highest governmental position in Hong Kong and a huge step for Tsang. Only four years later, Tsang became chief executive after the resignation of Tung Chee Hwa, obtaining the highest position in the Hong Kong government. His lengthy civil service background and dedication to the advancement of Hong Kong had come to a tremendous culmination.
Throughout his career as chief executive and financial secretary, Tsang has been praised for his management of Hong Kong’s financial economy. He guided Hong Kong through Asia’s financial crisis during the late 1990s and strengthened the local financial infrastructure with several reforms. Unemployment dropped to a seven-year low. Tsang was also responsible for strengthening the Hong Kong dollar through government intervention in the stock market in 1998.
In recent years, Tsang has promoted the development of an RMB market and strengthening ties to the financial market of mainland China. There has also been an increased effort to forge bonds with international investors. Though Tsang has been applauded for his financial policies, he has also been strongly criticized for his slow-to-democracy actions and lack of concern for the environment. However, overall Sir Donald Tsang has seen a great deal of success in his position as chief executive of Hong Kong.
A devout Roman Catholic, Tsang is often called ‘Bow-Tie Tsang,’ for his love of bowties and flamboyant persona. Ever the proponent of British gentility, Tsang was knighted by Prince Charles in 1997 as Knight Commander in the Order of the British Empire for his considerable service to Hong Kong.