Tung Chee-hwa, Hong Kong’s first post-colonial leader, dies at 89

Hong Kong ‘s first post-handover leader, Tung Chee-hwa, who struggled to cope with an Asian financial crisis and growing protests for democracy in the early years under Chinese rule, has died at age 89. His office said in a statement that Tung passed away peacefully in the presence of his family members on Tuesday. Tung, a shipping tycoon, had little political experience before a panel of pro-Beijing elites picked him in 1997 to be the first leader of the southern Chinese territory after the end of British colonial rule. Many believe Beijing perceived Tung as a loyalist who would obey…