The Legacy of a Patriotic Businessman
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4 HK | INTERVIEW Wednesday, August 1, 2018 CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION The legacy of a patriotic businessman Ian Fok Chun-wan pays tribute to the life and work of his father, Henry Fok Ying-tung, who contributed so much to the development of business, philanthropy and sports in Hong Kong and the nation. Joseph Li writes. he late Henry Fok Ying-tung was a pioneer costs. He came up with the idea of road tolls and bank of China’s economic reform and opening-up loans for the building works. to the outside world that began in 1978 after In 1982, Henry Fok spent a further HK$15 million several decades in the doldrums. on building a modern golf course which is up to inter- TIt was his vision, innovation spirit and entrepre- national standards near the resort. According to Ian neurship that had set the trend of investment from Fok, the purpose of the golf course was to upgrade Hong Kong, as well as from abroad. His various proj- the hotel’s status and attract more upmarket visitors. ects have been exemplary with a signifi cant impact on Ian Fok said his father encountered a great deal economic development not only in Guangdong prov- of resistance and red tape in his endeavors. “Before ince but also, to a certain extent, the whole country. the resort was completed, many o cials and cadres As well as economic reform, Fok had also devoted were worried that it would fail, but (then) Chinese strenuous e orts to helping the nation regain mem- leader Deng Xiaoping was determined and told bership of various international sporting organiza- them: ‘There’s no way back.’ Years later, when the tions that are important to the rise of modern China. luxury White Swan Hotel in Guangzhou opened, At the time of his death in 2006 at the age of 83, Fok some cadres wept, fearing China was walking the was vice-chairman of the National Committee of the path of capitalism.” Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference — In another big step forward, Henry Fok proposed the country’s top political advisory body. in 1978 building a fi ve-star hotel in Guangzhou by the China Daily spoke to his second son Ian Fok Chun- lake side as it had become an increasingly important wan, who had helped his father’s business ventures city liked by foreign businessmen and tourists. It was a on the mainland during that time, and is now chief joint venture between Fok and the provincial tourism executive o cer of the family’s Fok Ying Tung Group President Xi Jinping, then Party secretary of Zhejiang province, meets with Ian Fok Chun-wan, Hong Kong entrepreneur administration, involving a combined investment of since graduation in 1973. Henry Fok Ying-tung’s second son, who was chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, in 2005. HK$200 million. Born in Hong Kong in 1923, Henry Fok had a very PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Henry Fok insisted that the hotel should be designed humble beginning, having lost his father at a tender by Chinese architects and managed by Chinese sta . age. He entered secondary school at Queen’s College, But, since mainland people lacked the expertise in but dropped out when Hong Kong fell to Japanese running fi ve-star hotels, he brought the management forces during the war. team to Hong Kong and let them stay in deluxe fi ve- His mother, together with over a dozen partners, star hotels to see how they were run. opened a grocery and let him take charge. He started Beginning in 1980, construction of White Swan making money from government auctions of obso- Hotel took three years before its opening in 1983. Like lete military supplies after the war as he had studied the Zhongshan Hot Spring Resort, the tycoon insisted English and could read the gazettes, Ian Fok told that local people and people from outside Guangdong China Daily. province be allowed to enter the two hotels, take pho- Henry Fok was also involved in the transportation tographs and admire the marvelous developments business. During the Korean War in the early 1950s, despite worries about crowd control. China was under an embargo by the British Hong Ian Fok said: “We only managed White Swan Hotel Kong government by way of a United Nations resolu- for 15 years before returning it to the provincial tion. He provided ships to transport essential supplies authorities. My father’s main aim was to contribute like medicine and iron sheets to the mainland. to the economic development of Guangdong and the Iron sheets were used in the manufacturing of country as a whole, while the money we gained was oil tanks. At that time, China was short of oil, so oil used to repay bank loans and interests.” tanks were needed to store imported oil from the then Henry Fok, who was very enthusiastic about sports, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, said Ian Fok. That particularly soccer, had made enormous e orts in was the time Henry Fok made his fi rst contacts with bringing China back to the international community the mainland. and promoting sports development in the country. “My father had an innovative brain and good Before the People’s Republic China regained its for- insight, doing things that people had never done mal status at the UN, Taiwan had been taking part before and was humble in seeking other people’s in international sports events under the “Republic of advice,” the younger Fok recalled. China” label. “After the liberation of Hong Kong, many people Due to the civil war and Korean War, many coun- began fl ooding into Hong Kong. As the population tries had sanctioned China in an attempt to bar it surged, there were not enough homes, and that from joining international organizations. Henry Fok prompted him to invest in the property sector. In the worked very hard in lobbying international support to old days, buildings were sold by way of entire blocks. break the impasse. It was a very di cult time because But, after consulting lawyers, he decided to sell fl ats since the “Gang of Four” was still politically dominant one by one even before they were completed in order in the early 1970s, Chinese sports o cials were afraid to solve people’s housing needs. That’s the system of of initiating foreign contacts. pre-completed fl ats we have today.” In 1974, Henry Fok invited the president and secre- Emerging from the woes of the “cultural revolu- tary-general of FIFA — the world’s soccer governing tion” (1966-76) and the demise of the “Gang of Four” body — to visit Beijing. But, to his huge embarrass- in October 1976, China launched its landmark reform ment, no Chinese o cials met with them and it was and opening-up policy to bring in foreign investors, only Henry Fok and his eldest son Timothy who modern technology, equipment and management entertained the foreign guests. skills. In his capacity as president of the Hong Kong Foot- Henry Fok always wanted China to be strong and to ball Association, Henry Fok had worked very hard do something for the country. He seized that opportu- during those years to regain membership of the Asian nity and became the fi rst Hong Kong businessman to Football Confederation and then FIFA membership in invest on the mainland. He decided to build a modern 1975. He was most upbeat that, after years of lobby- hotel because he thought if China were to open its ing and hard work, the majority of the International doors to foreign investors and modernize, comfort- Olympic Committee members approved the return of able accommodation was essential to make them stay. the Chinese Olympic Committee in 1979 after 30 years Construction of the Zhongshan Hot Spring Resort in the international wilderness. — the fi rst hotel funded by overseas capital in Zhong- Badminton was a popular sport in China and one shan, in the west of the Pearl River Delta — began of the country’s strong areas during those years, said in early 1979. At that time, China was still very poor Ian Fok. Yet, owing to the International Badmin- and the government could only a ord no more than ton Federation (IBF) being dominated by Britain, labor and raw materials, while Fok was responsible which was anti-China, it refused China’s membership for raising capital, supervising building works, hotel application. In 1978, a total of 19 Asian and African Ian Fok Chun-wan attends the unveiling ceremony of his father Henry Fok Ying-tung’s bronze statue at Macao’s countries formed a new organization — the World management and training sta . A lot of equipment, Garden of Tai Tam Hill in 2012. furniture and hotel supplies were imported. Badminton Federation in Hong Kong — to break Aiming to have the hotel completed in a year’s away from the IBF. time, Henry Fok had a very innovative idea of giving My father had an innovative brain Following negotiations, the two organizations out bonuses to speed up its construction. As a result signed a merger agreement in May 1981, allowing of their hard work, the hotel began operations as and good insight, doing things China to become an IBF member again. The orga- nization was later renamed the Badminton World scheduled. Video on that people had never done before and was To connect Zhongshan with other parts of Guang- Facebook: Federation, and Henry Fok was appointed honorary dong province since the city was quite remote, he An interview humble in seeking other people’s advice.” president in recognition of his huge contributions.