Henry Fok

Henry Fok Ying Tung 霍英東, pinyin: Huò Yīngdōng (born May 10, 1923 in Hong Kong. His parents are from Panyu, in what is now part of Guangzhou, Guangdong). Originally named 霍官泰, he is possibly the most powerful Hongkonger in the politics of the People's Republic of China. He has been the vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference of PRC since March 1993.

He was born in Hong Kong, where his father died when he was just seven. He managed to enter The Queen's College, a top high school in Hong Kong, but he was not able to finish junior high due to the invasion of Japan in 1937.

After the war, he became a successful businessman. His business involved almost everything, from restaurants to real estate and casinos to petroleum. According to rumors, he was smuggling illegal items, including firearms, into Mainland China during the Korean War, when the United Nations imposed a trade embargo on the PRC.

Henry Fok had founded the Fok Ying Tung Foundation in 1984, which is now one of the largest philanthropic organisations in Hong Kong.

He is now the President of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the President of the Hong Kong Football Association, and the President of the Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong. He is also the Chairman of Henry Fok Estates Ltd. and the Yau Wing Co. of Hong Kong.

Before the handover of Hong Kong, Henry Fok was a member of the Drafting Committee for the Basic Law of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), the vice-chairman of the Preliminary Working Committee of Preparatory Committee of the Hong Kong SAR, and the vice-chairman of the Preparatory Committee of Hong Kong SAR. He was also Standing Committee member of 7th National People's Congress.

There is speculation says that it was Henry Fok who introduced Tung Chee Hwa to Jiang Zemin as a possible candidate of the first Hong Kong Chief Executive.

What is known is that it was Henry Fok, who helped Tung Chee Hwa out of his 2million dollar debt. Thereby it cannot be deniced that Tung Chee Hwa has a connection to Henry Fok, which allows the latter to 'intervene/advise' if times, or rather Peking, calls for it. Unfortunately, despite being Hong Kong Chinese, Mr Fok has a rather capitalistic, harsh political focus.

Timothy Fok, Legislative Council member and Hong Kong Football Association chairman, is a son of Henry Fok.