Tang Xiangqian
Tang Hsiang-chien (born June 8, 1923 – died March 10, 2018), was a businessman and politician from Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China. He was the father of former Hong Kong Chief Secretary Henry Tang. According to the 2010 Hong Kong Rich List published by *Forbes*, Tang entered the list for the first time with assets worth HK$6.63 billion, ranking 40th in Hong Kong.[1] According to the 2015 *Forbes* Global Billionaires List, he was worth US$1.2 billion, ranked 1533rd globally.[2]
Biography
Tang Hsiang-chien was born into a textile family in Wuxi. His family business involved cloth shops, silk trade, and pawnshops. His grandfather Tang Xiangting (Dianzhen) founded the Lixin Textile Factory. His father Tang Junyuan (Zengyuan) was a university graduate and served as factory director. The family enterprise expanded under the direction of his uncle Tang Bingyuan, who returned from overseas studies in 1923 to manage textile and flour businesses. Their Qingfeng Textile Mill was one of China’s top seven textile companies in the 1930s. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, Tang Bingyuan moved the family business to Hong Kong in 1947, establishing South Sea Textile Manufacturing Company in Tsuen Wan.[3]
Tang studied at the elementary school built by his grandfather[4], then attended Wuxi Private Fujen High School in Shanghai[4], Wusi Middle School on Xinzha Road (grades 7–8)[5], and Datong High School (grades 10–12)[5][6]. He earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Datong University in 1945. He studied at the University of Manchester in 1947 and obtained a master’s degree in economics from the University of Illinois in 1948. After the Communist Party took power in 1949, he did not return to mainland China. Instead, he moved to Hong Kong in 1950 to start his own business and continue the family legacy. He married Tang Yau Suk-kee in 1951 and had three sons and one daughter: Henry Tang Ying-yen, Tang Shing-nin, Tang Ying-man, and Tang Hing-nin.
Other Information
Tang had a close relationship with Jiang Zemin. Politician Allen Lee Peng-fei once described them as sworn brothers. In 2007, Henry Tang confirmed in a TVB interview that his father had invested in Shanghai during Jiang's leadership, and the two became friends. He said he met Jiang often in his youth.[7][8]
After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee in December 1978, Tang’s father Tang Junyuan became Vice Chairman of the Shanghai CPPCC. Before China’s reform era, Tang only operated in Hong Kong. Afterward, influenced by his father, he began investing in mainland China. He pioneered compensation trade in Shenzhen, built China’s first joint-venture woolen textile mill in Xinjiang, and co-founded Shanghai United Woolen Textile Co. in Shanghai. He proposed the development of the electronics industry to then Shanghai Mayor Zhu Rongji, leading to the founding of Meadville Technology Group in the mid-1980s.[9] The company was listed in Hong Kong in February 2007 (former stock code: 3313) and delisted in April 2010.
Racehorses
Tang and his wife Tang Yau Suk-kee were members of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Their racehorses included “Sunny Day” and “Double Chili”.
Public Service and Honors
- Hong Kong Affairs Advisor
- Member of the First Selection Committee of the HKSAR Government
- Member of the Preparatory Committee for the HKSAR
- Executive Member, Hong Kong Basic Law Consultative Committee
- Founder of Meadville Holdings
- 7th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Member (Hong Kong area)[10]
- Chairman, Federation of Hong Kong Industries
- Board Member, Hong Kong Trade Development Council
- Trustee, Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Honorary Committee Member, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
- Chairman, New Asia College Board, CUHK
- Director, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals
References
- ↑ Li Ka-shing tops Forbes Hong Kong Rich List again Sina Finance, Feb 5, 2010
- ↑ 2015 Global Billionaires List: New Billionaires Strengthen Hong Kong Lineup Forbes
- ↑ On Tang Bingyuan - Zuo Dingshan Apple Daily, June 4, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%94%90%E7%BF%94%E5%8D%83#cite_ref-%E5%94%90%E7%BF%94%E5%8D%83%E5%82%B3_7-0
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%94%90%E7%BF%94%E5%8D%83#cite_ref-%E5%94%90%E7%BF%94%E5%8D%83%E5%82%B31_8-0
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%94%90%E7%BF%94%E5%8D%83#cite_ref-9
- ↑ Tang family's deep ties to Beijing Apple Daily, September 29, 2011
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%94%90%E7%BF%94%E5%8D%83#cite_ref-11
- ↑ A Life of Purpose—Interview with Tang Hsiang-chien CPPCC Shanghai Committee, by Pan Zhen
- ↑ https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%94%90%E7%BF%94%E5%8D%83#cite_ref-13
External Links
- Biography of Tang Hsiang-chien Archived 2019-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
Template:6th All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce Executive Committee
- Tang family
- People from Wuxi
- Datong University alumni (Shanghai)
- University of Illinois alumni
- Hong Kong businesspeople
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Tang Hsiang-chien family
- Hong Kong racehorse owners and breeders
- CPPCC Hong Kong members
- Tung Wah Group of Hospitals directors
- Honorary Doctors of CUHK
- Hong Kong billionaires
- Members of the 6th CPPCC
- Standing Committee members of the 7th CPPCC
- Standing Committee members of the 8th CPPCC
- Standing Committee members of the 9th CPPCC
- Politicians with business backgrounds
- All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce members
- Honorary citizens of Shanghai
- University of Manchester alumni