Emergency surgery in Beijing for Standing Committee member, CE to visit

Tsui Tsin-tong, a Hong Kong member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), was reported in stable condition Friday after suffering a stroke in Beijing Thursday.

Cable TV quoted a staff member of CNT Group as saying that Tsui felt unwell before departing for the CPPCC meeting. His family rushed him to Peking Union Medical College Hospital, where he was diagnosed with hemorrhagic stroke and underwent surgery to remove blood from the brain.

"He is in stable condition. He is resting," said a man surnamed Chiu.

Tsui attended the opening ceremony of the 11th CPPCC on Wednesday but was absent from the panel meeting on Thursday. His condition raised concerns from various sectors.

At a press conference in Beijing, Chief Executive Donald Tsang expressed his concern to Tsui's family. "I feel worried and sad. I'll visit him in hospital," he said.

The low-profile businessman, 69, has been a member of the CPPCC Standing Committee since 1993. Known as a patriot, Tsui was engaged as a consultant by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council in 1993 and was a member of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Preparation Committee. He was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star in 2001 for his contribution to maintaining the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.

Tsui is also a well-reputed antique connoisseur, with his 4,000-piece-collection valued above $100 million. His Tsui Museum of Art - housing bronzes, carvings, jade, glass, enamel ware, furniture and Han Dynasty tomb statues was ranked among the top five private museums in the world. He also set up the Tsui Art Foundation, which has made donations to galleries in Australia, Britain, the United States and China.

He rose from a humble beginning. Born in Ji'an, Jiangxi in 1941, he migrated to Hong Kong with his family at the age of nine. His father died when he was 13. He worked as a messenger and a handyman before starting small businesses including restaurants and interior decoration companies. He made his fortune through stock and property investment in the 1970s. His business empire boomed as the properties he bought in the early 1980s surged in value.

Tsui is currently honorary chairman of the Hong Kong-listed company CNT Group, which is engaged in manufacturing and sale of paint products, iron and steel, and property investment.

China Daily

(HK Edition 03/06/2010 page1)