State funeral for Hong Kong’s first leader Tung Chee-hwa set for September 20

The state funeral for Hong Kong's first chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, is set to take place on September 20, according to the South China Morning Post. Details are currently being arranged for the ceremony, which is expected to be attended by state leaders and central government officials, following previous practices. The SCMP initially reported that Tung would be honored with a state funeral in recognition of his role as a deputy national-level leader and his contributions to the "one country, two systems" governance model.

Funeral preparations are underway, coordinated by the city government following Tung's passing at the age of 89 on Tuesday. The city government announced that they will provide further information on the arrangements in due course. Historically, only two prominent local figures have been granted state funerals since 1997: industrialist Ann Tse-kai in 2000 and tycoon Henry Fok Ying-tung in 2006, both of whom held the rank of vice-chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a position Tung also occupied.

The funeral committee for Tung will consist of 74 leading mainland and Hong Kong figures, led by CPPCC vice-chairman Wang Zhongyu. The committee includes the director of Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, Liao Hui; the head of the United Front Work Department, Liu Yandong; Tung himself; and former chief executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.