Being the city’s first chief executive gives Tung Chee-hwa a special place in the history of Hong Kong and China. His nomination for the national titles of honour, given out for the first time in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, is testament to that.

Currently a vice-chairman of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Tung is still closely following the public pulse and has spoken out at important moments. Thanks to his rich connections, the former shipping magnate remains a de facto ambassador for China overseas. His think tank Our Hong Kong Foundation has offered a raft of public policy proposals for the government’s consideration. The 82-year-old was not only praised for his “important contribution” to the implementation of “one country, two systems” and the Basic Law. A Xinhua report said he had led the government and different sectors to overcome various challenges, including the Asian financial crisis and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). He had satisfactorily handled many complex social, political and economic issues, as well as defending Hong Kong’s overall interests, national sovereignty, security and development interests, the report said.