Henry Tang

Tang was involved in the Harbour Fest controversy as Chairman of the Economic Relaunch Strategy Group responsible for pushing ahead with the plan to spend $100 million to revive the economy after SARS, and said that he should be held responsible. Tang had said that although Mike Rowse, a senior civil servant, had actually signed the contract, Rowse as such was not required to be held politically responsible.[12] However, during a Working Group meeting on 31 October 2003 and during an independent inquiry in May 2004, Tang allegedly said Rowse had not acted improperly and that there had been no irregularity in the implementation of the event.[13] Tang had also said that all parties had underestimated the complexity of the event and may have been too ambitious in organising it in such a short timespan. He later withdrew the remark: just before a government inquiry opened in November 2004, Tang requested the ERWG minutes be deleted.[13] Internal governmental disciplinary process fined Rowse for misconduct, but a High Court judge quashed the government ruling on 4 July 2008. Political commentator Frank Ching pointed to the huge credibility gap of the government. He noted that Tang's attempt to shift political responsibility from himself, as the minister responsible, to a senior civil servant, was a travesty of justice for Rowse, and went against the Accountability System.[14]

Chief Secretary Tang in 2008

On 23 June 2007, it was announced that Tang would succeed Rafael Hui as the new Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong effective 1 July 2007.[11]

On 6 March 2010 Tang attended a Youth Summit in Chai Wan organised by the Home Affairs Bureau. A 31-year-old jobless man threw a shoe at Tang and it landed on the stage metres away from him. The man was dragged away by police. The man said he was unemployed after getting fired by a computer company, and the government policies were not helping him. He said he was not a "post-80s" teen, but supported the highspeed rail protest connecting HK to Guangdong.[15] A protester said that the topics discussed in the summit are not those that any young person would be interested in.[16]

On 15 January 2011, Tang gave a speech at the Roundtable Institute that included controversial comments about the Hong Kong post-80s generation.[17][18] He said the young generations need to take responsibilities, and he cautioned them for slamming others because of opposing views. Then he stressed the need to compromise and simplify complicated issues. He further said young people should not close the door and act like emperors.[19] That he doesn't want to see politics lead to a bloodshed, leading to a road of no return and end up like a fatal car crash.[18]

On 21 January 2011, Leung Kwok-hung led a group of protesters to a public forum with a toy model car. He then smashed the car in front of Henry Tang to represent a fatal car crash.[20] On 30 January 2011 eight youth groups including Hong Kong Federation of Students marched to New World Development, Li Ka Shing's Cheung Kong Holdings in Central and accused the government of colluding with businesses in maximising profits while squeezing the poor.[21] The students criticised Tang and the government for policies that benefit the upper class only like no real estate tax duty, reduction of wine and profit tax. The students said the whole HK is at the mercy of real estate developers.[21]

From 13 February 2012, Hong Kong media reported unauthorised building works of Tang's two adjoined residences at York Road, Kowloon Tong. On 16 February 2012, an inspection by officials of the Buildings Department revealed a basement with an area of more than 2200 square feet (11 m by 19 m) that was not documented in the approved floor plan. Tang admitted at a press conference that he was aware of the construction of an illegal basement at his family house and said that it was his wife's idea. His wife agreed that the responsibility was hers[22] The admission followed several denials and provoked widespread criticism: "He has lost almost all his credibility, he lied every day," said Ma Ngok, a political sciences professor at the University of Hong Kong to AFP.[23]

The scandal prompted some of Tang's potential supporters in the 2012 Hong Kong Chief Executive election to review their position.[24] One former supporter said that it was 'unbearable' for Tang to throw the blame onto his wife.

No charges were brought against Tang though his wife was convicted of a criminal offence and fined HK$110,000, the illegal basement having been filled in.[25]

On 28 September 2011, in a widely trailed move, Tang resigned from his post, and then in late November announced his candidacy for Chief Executive.[26] He was widely believed to be preferred by Beijing, and hence quickly received support from many financial heavyweights, including Former Monetary Authority chief Joseph Yam Chi-kwong, HSBC Asia-Pacific chief executive Peter Wong Tung-shun, and 'Father of Lan Kwai Fong', Allan Zeman. However, in an unprecedented turn of events, including a series of scandals and dramatically reduced levels of public support, the final vote by the Election Committee saw him lose to Leung Chun-ying.

The Financial Times reported, on 23 October 2019, that Tang was being considered as a replacement for Carrie Lam as Chief Executive of Hong Kong. However, the Chinese government denied such deliberations.[27]

Tang serves as the chairperson of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, which oversees the M+ museum of contemporary art.[28] In March 2021, Tang said that the Authority would "definitely uphold the law and comply with the Basic Law, local laws and the national security law" in regards to art made by Ai Weiwei.[28]

On 4 October 2011, in the midst of rumours about his extra-marital affair with Shirley Yuen, his administrative assistant when he was finance secretary of Hong Kong, Henry Tang issued a statement, in which he admitted that he had made a mistake in his romantic life in the past and he deeply regretted it. He said that his wife had forgiven him. His wife said in the statement that there had been difficult times in their relationship and that he has faults, but that she also appreciated his strengths. She acknowledged him as her 'best partner'.[34] National People's Congress Standing Committee member Rita Fan said on 7 October 2011 that she didn't know about Tang's now widely publicised infidelity when she offered her support and she refused to rule herself out of standing in the following year's Chief Executive election, though she did not in fact stand.[35]

In February 2012, several Chinese newspapers reported Henry Tang might have had a relationship with Esther Lam, the daughter of Heung Yee Kuk vice-chairman Daniel Lam Wai-keung. Emails supposedly exchanged by the two of them and a picture showing them shoulder against shoulder have been published. Tang denied the reports claiming "we are only casual acquaintances".[36]