Rita Fan Hsu Lai-taiGBMGBSCBEJP(Chinese:Phạm từ lệ thái;néeHsu;bornHsu Ching-li;born 20 September 1945) is a senior Hong Kong politician. She was the firstPresident of the Hong Kong SAR Legislative Councilfrom 1998 to 2008 and a member of theStanding Committee of the National People's Congress(NPCSC).
Rita Fan | |
|---|---|
Phạm từ lệ thái | |
 Fan in 2019 | |
| Member of theNational People's Congress Standing Committee | |
| In office March 2008 – 18 March 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Tsang Hin-chi |
| Succeeded by | Tam Yiu-chung |
| 1stPresident of the Legislative Council | |
| In office 25 January 1997 – 30 September 2008 | |
| Chief Executive | Tung Chee-hwa Donald Tsang |
| Preceded by | Andrew Wong(as President of the colonial Legislative Council) |
| Succeeded by | Jasper Tsang |
| Unofficial Memberof theExecutive Council | |
| In office 1 January 1989 – 7 October 1992 | |
| Appointed by | Sir David Wilson |
| Member of theLegislative Council | |
| In office 1 October 2004 – 30 September 2008 | |
| Succeeded by | Cyd Ho |
| Constituency | Hong Kong Island |
| In office 1 July 1998 – 30 September 2004 | |
| Constituency | Election Committee |
| In office 21 December 1996 – 30 June 1998 (Provisional Legislative Council) | |
| In office 1 September 1983 – 6 October 1992 | |
| Appointed by | Sir Edward Youde Sir David Wilson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hsu Ching-li 20 September 1945 Shanghai,Republic of China |
| Political party | Liberal Party(until 1998) Independent (since 1998) |
| Spouse |
Stephen Fan Sheung-tak
(m.1974; died 2004) |
| Relations | Hsu Ta Tung(father) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Hong Kong |
| Education | St. Stephen's Girls' College |
| Alma mater | University of Hong Kong(BS,MS) |
| Signature |  |
| Rita Fan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | Phạm từ lệ thái | ||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Phạm từ lệ thái | ||||||||||||
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First stepping into politics when she was appointed to the colonialLegislative Councilin 1983, she rose to theExecutive Councilin 1989 until she resigned from the colonial services in 1992. She developed a close relationship with the Beijing authorities subsequently, assuming the office of the President of the Beijing-installedProvisional Legislative Councilon the eve of thetransfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong.She continued her position as the President of the SAR Legislative Council and first contested in thegeographical constituencydirect election inHong Kong Islandin 2004.
Shortly before retiring from the Legislative Council in 2008, Fan became the member of the Standing Committee of theNational People's Congress(NPC) in 2008, where she had been the Hong Kong deputy of the national legislature from 1997. She served in the Standing Committee until her retirement in 2018.
Early life and education
editHsu was born in Shanghai on 20 September 1945 to her father business magnateHsu Ta Tung.Hsu Ta Tung was a business partner and assistant toGreen GangbossDu Yuesheng.The Hsu family followed Du to move to Hong Kong before the fall of Shanghai to theChinese Communist Partyduring theChinese Civil Warwhen Rita Fan was only four.[1][2]
Her English name Rita is named after Hollywood starRita Hayworth.[3]She studied at theSt. Stephen's Girls' Collegebefore she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Physics from theUniversity of Hong Kong.After her graduation, Hsu worked for the university for seven years and obtained a master's degree in Psychology during that time. She later joinedHong Kong Polytechnicas head of their Student Affairs Unit and, later, as associate director.[1]
Colonial political career
editFan first stepped into politics when she was appointed to theLegislative CouncilbyGovernorEdward Youdein 1983. To avoid any appearance of conflict of interest, she resigned from her post at the Hong Kong Polytechnic. As the convenor of the Security Panel in the Legislative Council, she dealt with the cross-border car smuggling problem at the time. She persuaded the Mainland authorities to require all cars driven on the Mainland to have left hand drives which meant the Hong Kong right hand drive car could no longer be smuggled into the Mainland before the mechanical overhaul. She was appointed chairman of theBoard of Educationfrom 1986 to 1989 and chairman of theEducation Commissionfrom 1990 to 1992.[1]
Fan strongly espoused the case for mother tongue education and suggested that the government should increase the university graduates ratio of primary teachers. She insisted that the British Hong Kong government repatriateVietnamese boat peoplewho took refuge in Hong Kong, a major issue at the time, to protect the interests of the Hong Kong residents.[4]
She was later appointed to theExecutive Councilby GovernorDavid Wilsonin 1989.[1]After thefirst Legislative Council direct electionwhich saw the emergence of the populistpro-democracy campin the legislature, Fan joined the appointed members led byAllen Leeto form the conservative parliamentary groupCo-operative Resources Centrein 1991, which soon transformed intoLiberal Party.She held the position in the Executive and Legislative Councils, until she was told to resign from the Executive Council by the newly arrived GovernorChris Pattenso he could reform the council. Due to Patten's confrontational approach in putting forward theconstitutional reform proposalwhich was strongly opposed by the Beijing authorities, which Fan saw as "a threat to a smooth handover", she decided to resign from both the Executive and the Legislative Councils in 1992.[5]
Legislative Council President
edit
Soon after her retirement from the colonial government, she took a position in theEmperor Grouprun byAlbert Yeungwho had multiple criminal records which sparked controversy.[6]In 1993, she also accepted Beijing's appointment to thePreliminary Working Committee,and later thePreparatory Committeefor the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. She was later elected by the 400-strongSelection Committeeto theProvisional Legislative Council,a provisional legislature installed by Beijing which thepro-democracy campdeemed as unconstitutional. She was elected the President of the Provisional Legislative Council. She was severely attacked for her switching side and was called "chameleon" and "Jiang Qingof Hong Kong ", wife of ChairmanMao Zedongand the head of theGang of Four.[7]
The Provisional Legislative Council transited through thehandover of Hong Kongin 1997. She ran in theElection Committeeelectoral college in thefirst SAR Legislative Council electionin 1998. She continued to serve three consecutive terms as elected President of the Legislative Council from 1998. She demonstrated a largely acclaimed and respected firm but fair manner of presiding at meetings, and dealing with the radical members such asLeung Kwok-hungwho she ejected from the Legislative Council chamber in November 2004.[1]
In the2004 Legislative Council election,she ran in theHong Kong Islandgeographical constituencydirect election after the Election Committee electoral college seats were abolished. She received more than 65,000 votes, 18.5 per cent of the total vote share. She continued to serve in the Legislative Council for one more term until her retirement in 2008.
National People's Congress Standing Committee
editFan was first elected to theNational People's Congressin 1997. Shortly before her retirement from the Legislative Council in 2008, Fan was promoted to theStanding Committee.Among other services, she is also chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Association for Celebration of Reunification of Hong Kong with China Charitable Trust Fund, honorary adviser of the Hong Kong Federation of Women, patron of Hong Kong Kidney Foundation and Hong Kong Transplant Sports Association and Whole Person Education Foundation.[8]
In the2012 Chief Executive election,Fan had expressed her interest in the post. Despite topping in the opinion polls originally, Fan lost a lot of public support and respect by taking six months to consider her candidacy.[9]After much prevarication-induced speculation, Fan announced that she would not participate because her age and health would become concerns into the Chief Executive term; and she endorsedChief Secretary for AdministrationHenry Tanginstead when Tang showed his intention to run, However, when the extramarital affair of Henry Tang was exposed, Fan withdrew her support for him.[9][10][11]After former Convenor of the Executive CouncilLeung Chun-yingwon the election, Fan remained critical of the Leung administration. She believed her criticism toward Leung had cost her votes which plunged from 2,896 to 2,790 in her 2013 re-election to the Standing Committee.[12]
Fan did not seek for re-election in the2017 National People's Congress electiondue to the unofficial 70-year-old age limit.[13]
After NPCSC
editIn February 2021, Fan said that those who want to run in the Legislative Council should be nominated by theelection committee,and that district councillors should be banned from selecting the Chief Executive.[14]In addition, Fan claimed that "Why have we seen the chaos in Hong Kong? That's because non-patriots with ill-intent and those who want to use foreign powers to destroy Hong Kong's prosperity and stability were elected. They then created trouble in Legco and district councils. That made Hong Kong an unfavourable place to live and work."[14]
In March 2021, Fan claimed that electoral changes by the NPCSC to only allow "patriots" to serve in the government might lead to earlier universal suffrage for the Chief Executive position.[15]
In August 2022, after John Lee and other government officials criticizedNancy Pelosi over visiting Taiwan,despite Article 13 of the Basic Law stipulating that the local government is not responsible for foreign affairs, Fan said that Lee and the government had not contradicted the Basic Law.[16]
In April 2023, Fan said thatDistrict Councilsshould have democratically elected seats limited to 22%, to protect from "Western forces orTaiwan independenceadvocates. "[17]
Personal life
editShe married businessman Stephen Fan Sheung-tak in 1974 until his death fromliver cancerin 2004. The couple had a son Andrew and a daughter Stephanie. Their daughter suffered fromrenal failurein 1995, and Fan donated a kidney to save her daughter's life. Fan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and underwent amastectomy.[4]She is Honorary President of the Hong Kong Breast Cancer Foundation.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abcdeRita FAN HSU Lai Tai.
{{cite book}}:|work=ignored (help) - ^"Yết phạm từ lệ thái thanh bang phụ thân thân thế".Nhất chu khan.1 April 2004.
- ^"Sinh mệnh khả dĩ tùy thời chung kết phạm từ lệ thái".Nhất chu khan.21 June 2007.
- ^ab"Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai".China.org.cn.10 March 2010.
- ^"Who cares about popularity? Rita Fan unapologetic as she calls time on 34 years of Hong Kong politics".South China Morning Post.26 February 2018.
- ^Vines, Stephen (16 November 1997)."What is it about Rita Fan that makes Hong Kong hate her so?".The Independent.
- ^"Heftige Irritationen".Der Spiegel.21 July 1997.
- ^"RITA FAN HSU LAI-TAI".Go.Asia.
- ^abSouth China Morning Post.Good leader for Hong Kong wanted; political opportunists need not apply. 12 October 2011.
- ^Archived5 January 2013 atarchive.today.RTHK 1 October 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 2 March 2012
- ^Ng, Kang-chung; So, Peter; Lee, Colleen (18 February 2012). "Fan may be back in contention, say analysts".South China Morning Post
- ^"Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai says opposing C.Y. cost her votes in NPC".South China Morning Post.15 March 2013.
- ^"Cảng khu nhân đại đại biểu hoán giới tuyển cử kim khởi tiếp thụ báo danh".Hương cảng thương báo.10 July 2017.
- ^ab"'Legco candidates need approval from committee' - RTHK ".news.rthk.hk.Retrieved28 February2021.
- ^"Universal suffrage may come earlier now: Rita Fan - RTHK".news.rthk.hk.Retrieved4 April2021.
- ^Ho, Kelly (4 August 2022)."Pro-Beijing heavyweight backs Hong Kong officials' censure of Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit".Hong Kong Free Press HKFP.Retrieved5 August2022.
- ^Lee, Peter (28 April 2023)."District councils: Cut seats elected by the public for Hong Kong's 'self-protection,' says pro-Beijing heavyweight".Hong Kong Free Press HKFP.Retrieved29 April2023.
External links
edit- (in Chinese)Phạm từ lệ thái võng hiệt(Webpage of Rita Fan)
- Citation for Honorary Doctor of Social Science