Former Chief Secretary Anson Chan, a vocal advocate of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, announced her retirement from civic and political engagement today, following her daughter’s death last month.

In a short statement released today, Chan said she had long ago promised her children she would step back from civic and political engagement and lead a quieter life when she reaches the age of 80, which occurred at the start of the year. She admitted that the recent loss of her daughter has been a devastating blow. “I want to give myself time and space to mourn and recover. I also want to spend as much time as possible with my family, particularly my granddaughters and son‑in‑law,” she wrote.

Calling Hong Kong her home, Chan turned towards its young people and concluded her statement by urging them not to lose hope for their future and continue to hold fast to the values that underpin the unique city, but to maintain a manner that is law abiding and peaceful.

Chan served as Chief Secretary of Hong Kong from 1993 to 1997 for the Hong Kong government under British sovereignty, and was the first Chinese to hold the position. She remained the head of Hong Kong’s civil service after the Handover in 1997. In 2001, she disagreed with then-Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa’s introduction of the Principal Officials Accountability System and resigned, citing private reasons, and therefore ending her 39-year career in civil service. She remained politically active after her retirement and defeated Regina Ip in a highly symbolic Legislative Council by-election in 2007. She joined the annual march on Jul 1 for multiple times. In 2013, she founded the think tank, Hong Kong 2020, with the late veteran legislator Allen Lee Peng-fei, legal scholar at University of Hong Kong Professor Johannes Chan Man-mun and prominent lawyer Gladys Veronica Li. She has also joined other veteran political figures, such as Martin Lee, founder of Hong Kong's Democratic Party, on overseas visits to discuss Hong Kong’s development and progress in democracy with foreign leaders. Her daughter, Michelle Chan Wai-ling, passed away last month at the age of 57.

Full statement:

I reached the age of 80 at the start of this year, an age at which I long ago promised my children I would step back from civic and political engagement and lead a quieter life.

The recent loss of a beloved daughter is a devastating blow. I want to give myself time and space to mourn and recover. I also want to spend as much time as possible with my family, particularly my granddaughters and son‑in‑law.

Hong Kong has been and always will be my home. I urge young people not to lose hope for their future and continue to hold fast to the values that underpin our unique city but to do so in a law abiding and peaceful manner.

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