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Anson Chan Fang On Sang GBM GCMG CBE JP (Chinese: 陳方安生) (born January 17, 1940) was head of Hong Kong's civil service before and after the territory's handover to the People's Republic of China from British colonial rule. She is the first woman and the first Chinese to hold the second-highest governmental position in Hong Kong. A Chinese would not hold the highest governmental position until Hong Kong's handover to China. She is seen to be a pro-democracy politician by some people since November 2005.

Early life

Born in Shanghai, China, Anson Chan was educated at Hong Kong's Sacred Heart Canossian College (formerly known as Italian Convent School and Sacred Heart School) and the University of Hong Kong. She was further educated at the Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts.

Chan's father, who was a textile manufacturer, moved the family to Hong Kong in 1948. Her mother Fang Zhaoling is a well-known painter. Her grandfather, Fang Zhenwu, was a Kuomintang general who fought against the Japanese occupation. Her uncle, Sir Harry Fang, is a well-known doctor in Hong Kong.

In 1950, Chan's father died, leaving her mother with eight young children. With the support of Chan's grandmother, her mother not only shouldered the responsibility of raising her children, but also tried to pursue her career as an artist. She took two of her sons to study in England, leaving Chan and her five other siblings in Hong Kong with their grandmother and uncle.

Under her grandmother's strict discipline and high expectations, Chan learned that she had a duty towards the family and the community and was expected to be upright, diligent and righteous.

In 1959, Chan entered the University of Hong Kong to study English literature. She earned her pocket money by working as a private tutor. She at first decided to pursue a career as a social worker upon graduation, but later changed her mind and joined the Civil Service

Government Career

British Administration

Chan joined the civil service as an administrative service cadet in 1962. She became a senior administrative officer in 1970. During this period she helped set up the Association of Female Senior Government Officers to fight for better rights for women civil servants.

During Chan's tenure as Director of Social Welfare in the 1980's, she was severely criticized by media for her handling of a child custody case in 1986. The incident is popularly known as the Daughter of Kwok-A Incident.

From 1987 to 1993, she was Secretary for Economic Services, becoming the 30th and the last Chief Secretary in 1993. She mainly oversaw the localisation of the civil service during her time in this position.

Chan was often described during this era as an "Iron Lady", with "an iron fist in a velvet glove". Chan was lauded as the most powerful woman in Asia for her role as the deputy of British Governor Chris Patten, and later Tung Chee-hwa.

After Handover

After Hong Kong's handover to China on July 1, 1997, Chan stayed on as head of the civil service, continuing to serve the Hong Kong government under then Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa.

"Hong Kong's Conscience"

Chan's public utterances on certain matters have sometimes placed her at odds with Tung, but this also earned her the reputation of being "Hong Kong's Conscience" (Chinese: 香港良心).

In contrast to the more conservative Tung, Chan is credited by some to have been more forthcoming with supporting democracy and freedom, and to the call for faster pace of democratisation.

After pro-government figures in Hong Kong attacked the RTHK for being too critical of the Hong Kong and Chinese government Chan flew to its defence.

In 2001, Chan criticised a senior mainland Chinese official for expressing his view against Hong Kong media reports on Taiwan.

The constant criticism of Mainland officials and policies was perceived by many to be one of the main reasons for Beijing to view Chan as a malefactor in Hong Kong politics. In what the Hong Kong media saw as a dressing down for Chan, PRC Vice Premier Qian Qichen told her at a function in Beijing to support the unpopular Tung. Qian's call came after pro-Beijing figures leveled massive criticism of Chan for months, with some floating a conspiracy theory which placed Chan as a figure of the "Dump Tung" campaigns, which was gathering pace at the time.

The call by Qian was viewed by some to be the catalyst of Chan's comments in 2001 that she would be ready to quit if she was asked to accept policies that clashed with her principles,.

Criticism, Retirement

Throughout Chan's time in the post-handover government, Chan has received criticism for other matters from non-Beijing supporters.

In 1998, Chan was somewhat criticised for her role in the monitoring of the new Hong Kong International Airport construction at Chek Lap Kok. The airport faced incredible chaos after it opened, and some blame Chan for her lack of supervision.

After the airport fiasco, Chan agreed in 1999 to delay her retirement until June 2002. However, Chan announced her resignation in January of 2001 and, after using up her accumulated holiday time, officially stepped down in April of the same year.

Knighthood

In recognition of her 34 years of public service to the British Crown, Chan was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II to be an honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George in 2002. Such award is usually given only to Governors of Hong Kong before the return of sovereignty.

After Retirement

Chan kept a somewhat lower profile after retirement, although many believe Chan harbours political ambitions. Such assertions were said by some to have been proved by her participation of the 4 December protest against Donald Tsang's constitutional reform package .

Shortly after the protest, Chan openly called on Donald Tsang to ask for greater democracy from Beijing in the media.

In 2006 Chan announced she will be starting a group to push for universal suffrage. The proposed group could include people like:

• Barrister Dennis Chang Kin-lee
• former Liberal Party chairman Allen Lee Peng-fei
• Convenor of the Civic Exchange think-tank Christine Loh Kung-wai

Chan also hinted she may run for the CE job in 2007.

Trivia

• Chan has a twin sister.

See also

• Criticism as a "sudden democrat"

Mrs Chan has started advocating democracy only since 2005, and had remained more or less silent on the subject during her more than three decades of tenure in the Government. Some wonder the reason of her turning to be a democrat suddenly.

References

• Anson Chan to start group to map out democracy path
• Anson Chan to attend 1 July democracy march
• Anson in steps to democracy

• Government officials of Hong Kong
• Chief Secretaries of Hong Kong
• Alumni of the University of Hong Kong
• Tufts University alumni
• Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
• Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
• 1940 births
• Living people