It is with profound sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Association Past Chairman, The Honourable Tung Chee-hwa, GBM, who left us peacefully on the evening of 8 September 2026, at the age of 89, surrounded by his family. On behalf of the Association, we extend our deepest condolences to Mr Tung’s family during this time of profound loss.

Mr Tung’s connection to the Association runs deep and is long-standing. He served as our Chairman from 1976 to 1977, at a formative stage in his distinguished career and in later years honoured our Association by accepting the role of Patron, lending his stature and wisdom to our community. His contribution to the maritime sector was not incidental but foundational.

Beyond shipping, Mr. Tung’s public service record is unparalleled in Hong Kong’s history. He was appointed the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in July 1997. He steered Hong Kong through a severe global shipping downturn, the SARS outbreak, and the Asian financial crisis. Following his tenure as Chief Executive, he was elected Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and went on to found and chair the Our Hong Kong Foundation, continuing his lifelong commitment to Hong Kong and to bridging international relations.

We invite members to reflect on the remarkable breadth of Mr. Tung’s contributions, as a shipowner who steered a great Hong Kong shipping house through crisis, as a founding leader of our Special Administrative Region, and as a statesman who rose to the highest ranks of national leadership. His journey is a source of great pride for our maritime community.

Our Chairman, Mr. Richard Hext, shared the following tribute on behalf of the Association:

“It’s hard to overstate the importance of Mr Tung’s contribution to Hong Kong shipping. He helped build his family shipping company, OOCL, into one of the giants in the container industry, and he served as Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association from 1976 to 1977, later becoming Patron of the HKSOA. His energy, wisdom, and determination to serve Hong Kong received much wider recognition when he became Hong Kong’s first Chief Executive in 1997-2005. We at the Association deeply mourn Mr Tung’s departure but remain grateful for his dedication, which greatly changed our lives for the better.”

We ask that members join us in observing a moment of reflection for a leader who served both our industry and our community with distinction.