Asia Times Online :: Dead man walking in Hong Kong

Asia Times Online :: Dead man walking in Hong Kong
By Kent Ewing

HONG KONG - Not long ago, Henry Tang Ying-yen was Beijing's golden boy - handpicked by China's political elite as the chosen one to be this dynamic city's next leader. But now Beijing may have to abandon him and pick up another trustworthy person to run Hong Kong for next five years.

On top of the required Mandate from Heaven, Tang, the city's former chief secretary, enjoyed the added support of Hong Kong's business elite, creating the perception that he was a shoo-in to become Hong Kong's third post-handover chief executive in an election to be held next month.

Now, however, Tang will be lucky to make it through the week before being forced out of the race. As political suicides go, Tang has staged an astonishingly inept public exhibition - with revelations of marital infidelity last October followed last week by




reports of an "underground palace" that has been illegally constructed beneath one of his luxurious homes.

At this point, given the extent of Tang's transgressions, just about everyone except Tang himself agrees: Politically, he's dead.

Once Tang, 59, resigned last year as chief secretary in order to launch his campaign for chief executive, rumors began to fly about his alleged infidelity to his wife of 27 years, Lisa Kuo Yu-chin. In an attempt to put the issue behind him, Tang called a press conference at which Kuo stood loyally at his side as he vaguely alluded to and apologized for the swirl of gossip trailing his candidacy.

"I have had flaws in my personal life, and I feel deeply remorseful of that," said Tang. "I am very grateful for my wife's understanding and forgiveness."

Tang admitted to "straying" from his wife.

For her part, Kuo acknowledged "difficult times” in their marriage but professed her continuing love and admiration for her husband, with whom she has had four children.

The awkward confession seemed to backfire, however, when Tang's popularity ratings, never good, plunged further in a regular survey conducted by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) . Heading into last week, Tang was supported by only 26.1% of those polled.

This latest, still-growing scandal - dubbed "basement-gate" - has caused that support to drop to 21.1%, with more than 50% of the respondents now saying Tang should withdraw from the race.

And there is probably more bad news ahead: Analysts predict another dip of as much as 10% in Tang's ratings as his five-star basement becomes grist for microbloggers, Facebook groups and radio and television talk shows.

Meanwhile, Tang's chief rival in the contest for chief executive, former executive councilor Leung Chun-ying, was favored by nearly half of the HKU survey's respondents.

Smelling blood, other potential candidates - former security chief Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee and Legislative Council president Jasper Tsang Yok-sing - have signaled that they are now keen to join the fight.

Even if Tang - son of Tang Hsiang-chien, who parlayed the millions of dollars he made in the textile industry into political connections in Beijing - were to hang on and tough out the campaign, it is clear that he has lost all credibility. Not only have the people of Hong Kong given up on him - that happened long ago - but members of the political establishment are also jumping ship.

Even the business-friendly Liberal Party, of which Tang is a former member, has announced that it is considering withdrawing its support.

Chinese leaders simply have no choice: They must ask their erstwhile golden boy to step aside; otherwise, Tang's shameful and unseemly ordeal will only continue, further tainting the election and Hong Kong's reputation as a "world city" in Asia.

Tang's undistinguished political career has been characterized by repeated verbal gaffes and a reputation for mediocrity in every portfolio he has taken up - from secretary for commerce, industry and technology to financial secretary to his last post, the second-highest in the city, of chief secretary.

But his career reached a new low last week when reports surfaced in the city's Chinese-language press of an illegal 2,400 square feet (223 square meter) subterranean extension to one of his opulent homes in Hong Kong's Kowloon Tong area. Reporters discovered detailed sketches of the unauthorized addition that show it houses a wine cellar and tasting room, cinema, Japanese bath, gym and more.

Tang is known as a lover and collector of fine wines who no doubt benefited greatly from his government's removal in 2008 of Hong Kong's 80% duty on wine.

In overcrowded Hong Kong, where property prices are sky-high and many of the city's 7.1 million people live in "shoebox" apartments, Tang's underground palace has generated a wave of anger and resentment against a privileged class that appears to operate by it own set of rules.

Confronted with the evidence of the massive extension constructed beneath the family swimming pool, the chief executive hopeful blamed his wife, saying she had undertaken the project as a way of getting through a rough patch in their marriage. Once again, Kuo stood by his side - this time fighting back tears and apologizing for jeopardizing her husband's political ambitions.

Building illegal structures in Hong Kong is punishable by a fine of up to $HK400,000 (US$51,580) and two years in prison.

"I just wanted to plan a comfy place for my family," Kuo said of her role in the scandal. "I greatly regret that I did it without considering the consequences. I'm very, very sorry."

Tang has also apologized, but in a way that many observers found cowardly and mealy-mouthed:

"My wife proposed to build this basement. I know this is an illegal structure, but back at that time we were at a low tide in our marriage and we had communication problems. I feel regret and guilty about it."

It's hard to see how things don't get worse for Tang in the days ahead. This week a daily media circus has surrounded his home, demanding a guided tour of the extension - a demand so far ignored by the family - and Buildings Department inspectors may very well order its destruction.

Kuo, it seems, faces a possible jail sentence.

Despite his troubles, however, to date Tang has won the backing for 378 nominations - far more than any other candidate - on the Beijing-controlled, 1,200-member election committee that will select the next chief executive on March 25 to replace Donald Tsang. He has also received endorsements from Hong Kong tycoons such as Li Kai-shing and Raymond Kwok Ping-luen.

But all that high-flying support means nothing now. Tang has become so deeply unpopular that his candidacy is no longer tenable.

Ever since it became clear last year that Tang and Leung would be the chief contenders for the position, Leung has outmaneuvered and outpointed his opponent. In addition, Leung, who also is considered a Beijing loyalist, has remained largely clear of scandal.

Curiously, the government's Information Services Department recently released two statements within minutes of one another, one accusing Leung of conflict of interest in a 10-year-old case involving a design competition for the West Kowloon Cultural Center in which he served as a judge and the other clearing Tang of any conflict of interest in the lifting of the wine tax.

Leung has so far been successful in rebutting the charge against him and, in the end, the suspicious juxtaposition of the two press releases only further damaged Tang as it made the government appear to be taking sides in an effort to bolster his flagging popularity.

With Tang now hopelessly mired in another scandal, government officials are likely to abandon that effort, clumsy as it was.

As for their political masters in Beijing, they will see no advantage in continuing to back such a hapless candidate, no matter his family pedigree and business connections.

Kent Ewing is a Hong Kong-based teacher and writer. He can be reached at kewing56@gmail.com Follow him on Twitter: @KentEwing1