The Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, today (November 14) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Dr Chung Sze-yuen and extended his deepest condolences to Dr Chung’s family.

     "Dr Chung devoted his life to contributing to Hong Kong and worked hard for the good of the people of Hong Kong. He played a very important role in the development of higher education in Hong Kong.  In particular, Dr Chung was involved in the establishment of the Hong Kong Polytechnic (now The Hong Kong Polytechnic University), the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong (now the City University of Hong Kong) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Apart from serving as the Council Chairman of the three institutions, he was also the Acting Treasurer of the University of Hong Kong and the Pro-Chancellor of HKUST," Mr Yeung said.
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     He believed that the education sector would remember Dr Chung’s significant contributions to the higher education development.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
     
     The Hospital Authority (HA) Chairman, Professor John Leong Chi-yan, today (November 14) expressed his sadness at the passing of the HA's Founding Chairman, Dr Chung Sze-yuen, and extended deepest condolences to his family. "Dr Chung always demonstrated his love and passion towards Hong Kong. His contribution in building a solid foundation for Hong Kong's public healthcare system was commendable and exemplary," Professor Leong said.
 
     "He is a role model for all of us for his dedication to the development of the public healthcare system. The HA Board and staff members are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Chung," Professor Leong added.
      
     Dr Chung was appointed as Chairman of the Provisional Hospital Authority in 1988, overseeing the preparatory work of establishing the HA as a statutory body. Dr Chung was appointed as the Founding Chairman of the HA in December 1990. Under his guidance, the Authority signed agreements with the former Hospital Services Department and 15 charitable organisations for vesting management of the hospitals with the HA, leading Hong Kong's public healthcare services into a new era. Dr Chung retired as the HA Chairman in March 1995.

     â€‹"I was also a Board Member of the HA when it was first set up and had the chance to work with Dr Chung in those days. His determination, insights and dedication were admirable. I would like to express our gratitude for the contribution of Dr Chung and extend my deepest condolences to his family on behalf of the HA," said Professor Leong.
     
 

     The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, today (November 14) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of former Convenor of the Executive Council Dr Chung Sze-yuen.

     Professor Chan said, "Dr Chung played a pivotal role in Hong Kong's political arena. He had served in a number of important public service positions for many years, and was the first Convenor of the Executive Council after our return to the motherland. Dr Chung assumed the chairmanship of the Provisional Hospital Authority in 1988 to undertake preparatory work for the establishment of the Hong Kong Hospital Authority (HA). As the first Chairman of the HA between 1990 and 1995, he made profound contributions to the medical and health development in Hong Kong by leading the HA to enhance the public hospital system and setting out the long-term development direction of public hospital services.

     "I was grieved to learn of the passing of Dr Chung and would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family."

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (November 14) expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Dr Chung Sze-yuen.

     "Dr Chung had served the community for many years. With distinguished achievements in areas including politics, education, medical care and engineering, he earned deep respect from members of the public.
 
     "Dr Chung was very influential in the political arena. He had served as a member of the Legislative Council for 13 years and a member of the Executive Council for 16 years before Hong Kong's return to the motherland. In six of the years, he was even a member of both Councils. In the 1970s, he successfully lobbied the then Governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, to increase the number of non-official members of the Legislative Council, enhancing democracy in the Legislative Council.
 
     "During the negotiations between China and the United Kingdom on Hong Kong's future in the 1980s, he conducted a number of visits to Beijing and London to reflect the views of Hong Kong people. He was the Convenor of the first Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) from 1997 to 1999, contributing to Hong Kong's smooth transition during the crucial moment.
 
     "Dr Chung had also served in numerous public duties, many of which were tasked with arduous pioneering missions. He took charge of the establishment of three higher education institutions, namely the Hong Kong Polytechnic (presently the Hong Kong Polytechnic University), the City Polytechnic of Hong Kong (presently the City University of Hong Kong) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He spared no effort in playing a key role in promoting the development of Hong Kong's higher education, laying a solid foundation for the development. He was also the first Chairman of the Hospital Authority and made significant contributions to the reform of Hong Kong's public healthcare services.
 
     "In addition to his active role in the political sector, Dr Chung was also an outstanding engineer. He graduated with first class honours from the University of Hong Kong and later received a doctoral degree in engineering in the United Kingdom. He was the President of the then Engineering Society of Hong Kong, which later became the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, in the 1960s and led the Society in its path to become a statutory body. Dr Chung won countless awards in engineering and is still highly respected by the engineering sector. He significantly reduced the cost of producing torches with new technology and made his company the world's largest torch manufacturer at that time.
 
     "I had the privilege to have worked with Dr Chung in the Budget Expert Group under the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group dealing with the transitional Budget and related matters before Hong Kong's return to the motherland and was impressed by his objective and fair analysis, political tolerance and care and guidance for the younger generations.
 
     "I was invited to Dr Chung's birthday banquets in recent years to share the love and respect for him by his family members and best friends. On November 3 this year, with the agreement of Dr Chung, I hosted a lunch at Government House in celebration of his 101st birthday and we had a joyful party with his family members and best friends. 
 
     "The spirit of Dr Chung's selfless sacrifice for Hong Kong will always be in our hearts. On behalf of the HKSAR Government and in my personal capacity, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family," Mrs Lam said.

     Rene Caovilla, which makes Italian handcrafted shoes, opened a flagship store in Hong Kong today (November 14), giving the heritage brand a regional base from which to continue its global growth.
     
     The new store, located at Harbour City in Tsim Sha Tsui, showcases a range of women's jeweled shoes, handmade and shipped from Venice, Italy. Rene Caovilla is a family enterprise and is currently run by the third generation. With aspirations for an expanded global presence, the company identified Hong Kong as the ideal location for a flagship store because of its international status and fashion conscious consumers, said its Creative Director and CEO, Mr Edoardo Caovilla.
     
     He said, "Our retail strategy is to open stores in the main shopping malls around the world, and certainly Hong Kong is one of the locations on our map. The Hong Kong store is the first in Asia Pacific that is directly owned and managed by us. At the same time, we have received a lot of positive attention through working closely with local and regional key opinion leaders in fashion and lifestyle. We have started to engage with consumers through the many social media platforms and print media that we can access in Hong Kong.
     
     "Hong Kong is strategically located in the heart of Asia and the retail industry here is sophisticated with a good diversity of discerning clientele in terms of both locals and visitors from around the world. It is the gateway for our Asia distribution and retail development."
     
     Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Dr Jimmy Chiang said, "Hong Kong has remained popular as a travel and retail destination for visitors from around the world. We also have strong IT infrastructure which supports marketing activities of the brands that set up in Hong Kong. The opening of Rene Caovilla's flagship store in Hong Kong is another vote of confidence in our retail sector."
     
About Rene Caovilla
     
     Founded in Venice in 1934, Rene Caovilla is regarded as having set the benchmark for excellence in the luxury footwear sector. The retail side of the business spans 15 boutiques in the world's leading cities with more than 80 points of sale worldwide. It also launched an official online boutique in January 2017. For more information, please visit www.renecaovilla.com.
     
About Invest Hong Kong
 
     Invest Hong Kong is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for attracting foreign direct investment and supporting overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services for overseas and Mainland companies enrolled as its clients. For more information, please visit www.investhk.gov.hk.
      
     For event photos, please visit www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72157702026642271.