Anson Chan

Anson Chan

Anson Chan Fang On Sang (陳方安生) (born January 17, 1940) is formerly a prominent and long-standing head of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR)'s civil service before and after the territory's handover to the People's Republic of China from British colonial rule. She is the first woman and the first Chinese to hold the second-highest governmental position in Hong Kong.

Quotes

• "I do not say what I do not mean. Neither can anyone force me to say what I don't wish to say."
  • Source:Anson Chan to Newsweek magazine in 1997.

• "And 'speak truth unto power'? What does this mean? It means giving your best advice to superiors based on the best information available and objective analysis even when you know it may not be music to their ears."
  • Source: From Anson Chan's speech addressing to the Asia Society Hong Kong Center in April 2001.

• "For the first ten years or so, you would always question whether the decisions were right or wrong, but you have to learn to put things behind you once a decision is made. You can't be wishy-washy about it."
  • Source: From Anson Chan's speech commenting on her handling the controversial 1986 child custody case on the eve of her retirement on April 27, 2001.