Professor Tien said he had encouraged Tung Chee-hwa to run for Chief Executive. He said he had lobbied Mr Tung during a visit to the University of Berkeley in 1996. 'I had a small part in persuading him to undertake this job. Now in return, he played a very big part in persuading me to chair this commission,' the professor said. He said they were old friends, as were their fathers. Mr Tung outlined his vision during a meeting with Professor Tien before attending the commission meeting yesterday. 'Having Tung Chee-hwa as the Chief Executive today is an important factor in Hong Kong's success tomorrow,' the professor said.
