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Hong Kong is in mourning for Tung Chee-hwa, the city's inaugural leader after its return to Chinese rule and a revered elder statesman, who passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on Tuesday. Tributes and condolences flooded in on Wednesday from Hong Kong and Mainland China, as well as from abroad, with officials, politicians, business leaders and others lauding his pioneering role as the first custodian of the "one country, two systems" policy.

Tung guided Hong Kong through its transitional years post-British rule in 1997 and laid the groundwork for its post-handover prosperity. Beijing's liaison office in Hong Kong hailed Tung as a "close friend of the Communist Party of China," an "outstanding contributor to 'one country, two systems'" and a "renowned patriot". The Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office expressed their condolences to his wife, Betty Tung Chiu Hung-ping, noting his "major historic contributions" to Hong Kong's seamless transition to China.

Former chief executive John Lee praised Tung's "exemplary contributions" to Hong Kong's return to Chinese governance and the implementation of the Basic Law. Tung's successors also paid tribute to his significant role in shaping post-handover Hong Kong. Former chief executive Carrie Lam highlighted his visionary foresight and humble governance style, while Leung Chun-ying emphasized his establishment of the special administrative region and its government, giving Hong Kong people "a high degree of autonomy".

Donald Tsang, who succeeded Tung in 2005, remembered him as an approachable and broad-minded leader with a clear vision who worked tirelessly to guide Hong Kong through its post-handover transition. Tung embarked on his political career as a shipping magnate before being selected as Hong Kong's first chief executive in 1996. He was officially appointed by the State Council and assumed office on July 1, 1997.

Tung's tenure was marked by difficult policy decisions and crises, including the controversial pledge to build 85,000 homes annually, which was later abandoned due to falling home prices and the Asian financial crisis. In response to the financial turmoil, Tung's administration directly intervened in the stock and futures markets in August 1998, injecting HK$118 billion to stabilize the Hong Kong dollar and equities market.

Despite political pressure and the outbreak of SARS in 2003, Tung's administration continued to push for national security legislation and deepen economic integration with Mainland China through the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and the Individual Visit Scheme. Tung acknowledged the shortcomings of his administration in his resignation speech, admitting that the government had sometimes failed to fully understand public concerns and indecision.