David Tang awarded knighthood in UK list
Businessman and socialite David Tang Wing-cheung has been awarded a knighthood in the British Queen's New Year Honours List - an honour his grandfather also achieved.
The founder of Shanghai Tang and the China Club was named Knight Commander of the British Empire, the second-highest rank in the Order of the British Empire. He already holds the fourth-highest rank, Officer of the British Empire.
Sir David, 52, received the distinction for his 'charitable services in the UK and to British interests in Hong Kong', according to the honours list published yesterday.
'I'm thrilled to receive this honour,' Sir David said yesterday. 'It's probably politically incorrect to want to receive a British honour - but we can't all be politically correct all the time.
'My grandfather Tang Shiu-kin, who was the founder of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company, had one - he was a knight bachelor - and it is very nice to carry on the family tradition.'
Sir David is founder and chairman of the Hong Kong Cancer Fund, president of the Down Syndrome Association and patron of the Youth Arts Foundation. He also set up the privately sponsored Community English Language Lab in Taikoo Shing which offers free English tuition to all - an initiative that he admits to being 'very proud' of.
Through his charitable work, he became friends with the late Princess Diana, who came to Hong Kong at his invitation in 1995 to speak at a fund-raising event at the China Club for the Cancer Fund.
Pop diva Kylie Minogue, Michael O'Sullivan, director of the British Council China and TV chat show host Michael Parkinson were also among other people honoured.
