Many sectors of Chinese society mourned the death of renowned Hong Kong philanthropist and prominent industrialist Tin Ka-ping, who died at the age of 99 in the city on Tuesday morning.Leading the tributes was the central government's top representative in Hong Kong, Wang Zhiming, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Wang expressed his sorrow over Tin's death on Wednesday.He said he respected and appreciated Tin's lifelong love for the country and his great contribution to education in China.Tin cared about society and promoted public welfare in ways that will benefit future generations, Wang said.Joining him was Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. She said on Tuesday that Tin not only made significant contributions to the industrial development of Hong Kong but was also devoted to philanthropy over the past few decades, both in the special administrative region and on the mainland.Lam said she was grieved to learn of Tin's passing and extended condolences to his family.Hong Kong's Secretary for Education Kevin Yeung Yunhung said the Tin Ka Ping Foundation funded various educational institutions, from kindergartens to universities, as well as several scholarship and exchange programs that benefit a large number of local students.Born in Guangdong province, Tin moved to Hong Kong in 1958. He was successful in his early days in the chemicals business and later made a fortune in real estate. He devoted his life to promoting the development of charities, donating 80 percent of his total assets to different fields, especially education.So far, the foundation, a nonprofit charity founded by Tin in 1982, has funded 318 education institutions, more than 1,800 rural libraries, 29 hospitals and about 130 bridges and roads across 34 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China.Educational institutions that were funded by Tin in both Hong Kong and the mainland also expressed both sorrow and appreciation.The University of Hong Kong said that Tin was a selfless educator and philanthropist who had contributed immensely to the development of teaching, learning and research in Hong Kong and on the mainland.Zhejiang University posted a tribute to Tin on its social media account. Tin provided money to establish the Tin Ka Ping Academy on the Xixi campus of the university. As it is the place where most students go for classes, the building bears witness to students' growth, the university said.Tin's name and the building have been integrated into the university, the post said.Other universities and middle schools in different provinces, including Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Jiangsu, also mourned Tin. All of them have received donations. make your own wristbandprintable wristbands24hr wristband24 hour wristbands coupon
The Chinese military has ceased most of its commercial activities, and is on target to end all such activities by the end of the year, according to Xinhua News Agency.By the end of last month, 100,000 out of 106,000 commercial programs undertaken by the People's Liberation Army had ended, marking an achievement in the PLA's decommercialization efforts, Xinhua reported on Wednesday.The report quoted a PLA department in charge of the work as saying that the Central Military Commission pays great attention to the decommercialization efforts, adding that 26 central government departments and nine commission agencies have been working together to push forward the objective.Plans for the remaining commercial activities, which are sophisticated or sensitive, are being made in accordance with related policies, while issues pertaining to legal affairs, employees, assets and debts have been properly handled according to agreed-upon schedules, the department added.It noted that inspectors will be sent to PLA units to examine whether commercial activities have ceased and whether employees have been adequately compensated. Members of the PLA or the public are also welcome to report concerns via a hotline or email, according to the report.The Chinese military started running its own businesses in the mid-1980s to offset a sharp decrease in the defense budget ordered by then-leader Deng Xiaoping.In 1992, the Central Military Commission officially approved commercial activities by the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force.In February 2016, the commission ordered the PLA and the Armed Police Force to eradicate all commercial activities within three years.Last month, the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, State Council and Central Military Commission jointly published the Guidelines on the Complete Halt of the Military's Commercial Activities, requesting that units of the PLA and the Armed People Force cease all commercial activities by year-end.The document also stipulates that all property, land and reception facilities owned by the military that have been used for commercial purposes will be directly administered and allocated by the Central Military Commission.
