‘Patriotic’ Macao tycoon mourned across nation
Tributes poured in from across China – the mainland, Macao and Hong Kong – on Tuesday mourning the passing of Stanley Ho Hung-sun, who is known around the world for his casino empire and in China for patriotic contributions to various aspects of the country’s social and economic development as well as national unity.
For many across the country, remembering a Hong Kongborn patriot who turned love for the nation into real actions in support of the “one country, two systems” also took new meaning as they watch in awe of secessionist movements backed by foreign powers continuing to ravage Hong Kong in recent months. More than just his patriotic words and deeds, Ho’s success in the commercial world also embodies the success of the “one country, two systems” policy, experts noted.
Ho, who was
born in Hong Kong and later moved to Macao to start a business that helped build the Chinese special administrative region into the world’s largest gambling hub overtaking Las Vegas in the US, died aged 98 on Tuesday in Hong Kong, according to his family. He had 17 children with four wives.
“It’s heartbreaking for us to make this announcement… my father always loved the people of Hong Kong… taking from society and then giving back was his motto, which we will uphold as well,” Pansy Ho Chiuking, daughter of Stanley Ho, said at a briefing on Tuesday.
“This is sad as Dr. Ho built up the city in the early days helping people with jobs. He was a legend, a proper patriarch. His legacy keeps reshaping Macao SAR and the Chinese mainland today and they love him,” Billy Chan, a Macao local resident, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
In Hong Kong, Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuetngor conveyed her deep condolences regarding Ho’s passing and praised him as a successful entrepreneur who played a considerable role in both Macao and Hong Kong, according to Hong Kong-based news website HK01.com.
In the mainland, netizens took to social media to mourn Ho, who many describe as a legendary businessman who loves his homeland, Macao and Hong Kong. Ho’s death quickly became a viral topic on mainland social media, with about 200 million viewers and 350,000 discussions about an hour after the news spread.
“He is a true legend who made great contributions to our nation, he deserves our respect,” a netizen posted on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo.
Many listed concrete contributions Ho made in a wide range of areas. Among others, Ho was an advisor to Beijing’s 2008 Olympic Games Bidding Committee and donated 100 million yuan to the construction of China’s National Swimming Center, also known as the Water Cube, in Beijing.
Ho, who holds a long list of titles, including as a member of the standing committee of the 9th to 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top advisory body, said his favorite title is “patriotic capitalist.”
‘Patriotic entrepreneur’
The term “patriotic entrepreneur” is a highly regarded honor commonly used in Macao and Hong Kong policy circles.
Ho’s contribution to the “one country, two systems” policy and his personal virtue and ability illustrated his love for his homeland, Hong Kong and Macao, and his loyalty, said Tian Feilong, a Hong Kong affairs expert at Beihang University in Beijing.
“Throughout a long period of history and in the process of China’s revolutionary development and reform, he turned his patriotism into specific actions; therefore, we use ‘patriotic entrepreneur’ to make a political evaluation of his life,” Tian told the Global Times on Tuesday.
While many on the Chinese mainland remembered Ho’s love and loyalty for his country, some also made reference to the current situation in Hong Kong, where secessionist elements in the city backed by foreign powers are wreaking havoc on the city with months of riots and challenging the “one country, two systems.”