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Jimmy Cheung

The man seen as a candidate to succeed Mr Tung brings to his role strong business and political credentials

Henry Tang Ying-yen says he has no idea if he was Tung Chee-hwa's first choice for the job of financial secretary but he hopes to earn more bouquets than brickbats while in the post.

'I know it's going to be a tough job,' said Mr Tang, who just a few weeks ago had publicly disavowed interest in succeeding Antony Leung Kam-chung.

Asked how Mr Tung had persuaded him to change his mind, Mr Tang said:  'Mr Tung said Hong Kong requires [talented people] who have the courage and commitment to take on challenges at this critical moment.'

While the well-connected industrialist had not been seen as first choice to fill the vacancy, he  was widely seen as a future   chief executive. Born into the family of Shanghai industrialist Tang Hsiang-chien - whose university classmate was  Jiang Zemin - the 51-year-old is a familiar face among members of the national leadership.

He was said to have impressed  visiting Premier Wen Jiabao in June when he moderated his question-and-answer session with  industrialists at  Government House.

Mr Tang has solid  political credentials for the post too. Appointed to the Legislative Council in 1991, he was elected to represent the  import and export functional constituency  in 1995. In 1997, Mr Tung appointed him to the  Executive Council. Last year he named him minister for commerce, industry and technology.

His  political career was not all plain sailing. He stirred  outrage when he said the unemployment rate would not fall to the pre-handover level in his lifetime. On unemployment, Mr Tang yesterday said:  'I just hope by the time I step down the economy will be better and the unemployment rate lower than what we have today.' He also came under fire for  describing the Asian financial crisis and the slump in property prices since 1998 as a 'cold shower' that had been good for Hong Kong.

'I think we will learn that we must earn something based on our knowledge, based on the value-added ... and not just because we buy a flat and speculate on it,' he told the world Economic Forum for East Asia last September.

He aroused concerns over RTHK's editorial independence when, two months into his ministerial post,  he phoned the director of broadcasting after learning the  station was  planning to interview Taiwan's Vice-President Annette Lu Hsiu-lien. He refused to say whether he had told RTHK not to conduct such interviews, and said Hong Kong media still enjoyed freedom of speech and expression.

More recently, he avoided controversy  by renewing  Commercial Radio's licence for a further 12 years, despite anger from government supporters over programmes critical of the administration and civil servants. He argued for  mainland professionals to be let into Hong Kong for work on the same terms as other foreign nationals, strongly backed the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement with the mainland and spoke up for  Hong Kong jewellery traders shunned by organisers of exhibitions overseas  during Sars.

Mr Tang, a founding member of the Liberal Party, said yesterday that to be seen as impartial he would resign his membership. He was quick to add that doing so was not intended as a sop to  the pro-Beijing camp, which was reportedly upset by Liberalist leader James Tien Pei-chun's resignation from the Executive Council, which forced Mr Tung to delay passage of the Article 23 legislation.

Mr Tang was awarded a Gold Bauhinia Star in the 2000 honours list.

Financial Secretary

Henry Tang Ying-yen

Age: 51

Education: BA (University of Michigan, US)

Previous public appointments:

Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (2002-present);

Executive Councillor (1997-2002);

Legislative Councillor (1991-98);

Served on the Trade Development Council, Town Planning Board, University Grants Committee, and Council of City University



Henry Tang says he is ready for tough job ahead