Portal:Hong Kong/Selected biography/3

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Donald Tsang
Donald Tsang

Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen (born 7 October 1944) was the Chief Executive and Head of Government of Hong Kong until his successor Leung Chun-ying took office on 1 July 2012.

Often referred as "Bow-Tie Tsang" due to his preference of wearing a bow tie, he assumed the office of Chief Executive of Hong Kong since 2005. Tsang began his civil servant career in 1967, held various positions in finance and trade in the Hong Kong Civil Service, and was appointed Financial Secretary of Hong Kong in 1995, becoming the first ethnic Chinese to hold the position under British administration. He remained in that position after the handover of Hong Kong before being appointed Chief Secretary for Administration after the resignation of Anson Chan. Known for his flamboyant style, Tsang won praise for his handling of the Hong Kong economy both as Chief Executive in the mid-2000s and as Financial Secretary in the late 1990s, but came under intense pressure to push for democratic reforms and ended his term under a barrage of criticism for accepting favours from tycoons and overspending on official trips.