My first in-depth interaction with Tung Chee Hwa came at a time of crisis. In April 2001, an American EP-3 spy plane had just collided with a Chinese military jet and was forced to make an emergency landing in Hainan Island. At the time, I was running a Morgan Stanley investment tour of China for about fifteen of the world’s most prominent and deep-pocketed investors, most of whom had never been to China before.

The news of the passing of Mr. Tung Chee Hwa — former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the first Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and Founding Chairman of the China-US Exchange Foundation — reached me on September 8. Although I knew that Mr. Tung was very ill for quite some time, yet I was sadly struck by this grievous news. With his departure, I have forever lost a respected leader, mentor and trusted friend. My mind is flooded with reflections on his contributions to think tank development, international exchange and national service, and I find myself unable to contain my grief while writing these lines to recall my days with him personally in the past 20 years.

Despite all the predictions of doom by Western pundits in 1997, Hong Kong has done well since its reversion of sovereignty to China twenty years ago. 

Mr. Tung Speaks to CNN host Christiane Amanpour on China's leadership transition and recent developments on China Japan conflicts over Diaoyu Islands.