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Bernard Charnwut Chan

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The Honourable
Bernard Charnwut Chan
Charnwut Sophonpanich
GBM, GBS, JP
陳智思
Chan attending the Hong Kong International Races 2023 raceday as a steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club at the Sha Tin Racecourse on 10 December 2023
Non-official Convenor of the Executive Council
In office
1 July 2017 – 30 June 2022
Appointed byCarrie Lam
Preceded byLam Woon-kwong
Succeeded byRegina Ip
Non-official Member of the Executive Council
In office
1 July 2012 – 30 June 2022
Appointed byLeung Chun-ying
Carrie Lam
In office
26 October 2004 – 20 January 2009
Appointed byTung Chee-hwa
Donald Tsang
Chairman of the Council of Lingnan University
In office
22 October 2010 – 21 October 2014
DeputySophia Kao
Delegate to the National People's Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 2008
ChairmanWu Bangguo
Zhang Dejiang
Li Zhanshu
ConstituencyHong Kong
Member of the Legislative Council
In office
1 July 1998 – 30 September 2008
Succeeded byChan Kin-por
ConstituencyInsurance
Personal details
Born (1965-01-11) 11 January 1965 (age 59)
British Hong Kong
NationalityThai and American
(until 2004)
Chinese
SpouseYeo Peck Leng
RelationsChin Sophonpanich (grandfather)
Robin Chan (father)
Chatri Sophonpanich (uncle)
Chartsiri Sophonpanich (cousin)
Ken Sim (cousin)
Children2
Alma materPomona College (BA)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bernard Charnwut Chan.

Bernard Charnwut Chan[a] GBM GBS JP (Chinese: 陳智思; Jyutping: Can4 Zi3 Si1; 11 January 1965), is a Hong Kong politician and businessman. He served as Non-official Convenor of the Executive Council from 2017 to 2022.

Background

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Chan was born in Hong Kong with family roots in Chaoyang, Canton, also known by his Thai name Charnwut Sophonpanich (Thai: ชาญวุฒิ โสภณพนิช; RTGS: Chanwut Sophonphanit).[1][2] He is the grandson of Chin Sophonpanich, the late Thai Chinese founder of Bangkok Bank.[3] He graduated from The Hill School in 1983 and Pomona College in 1988 with a BA in Studio Art.[4] He is an investor in Thailand's Bumrungrad International Hospital.[5]

Chan is the Convener of the Non-official Members of the Executive Council, appointed by Carrie Lam in July 2017. He was a member of the Legislative Council (Legco) from 1998 to 2008, representing the Insurance constituency. He became a Hong Kong Deputy to National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China in 2008.[6] He chairs several government advisory bodies: the Advisory Committee on Revitalizing Historical Buildings, the Standing Committee on Judicial Salaries and Condition of Services and the Hong Kong Council for Sustainable Development. He chaired the Antiquities Advisory Board from 2009–2013 and the Standing Committee on Disciplined Services Salaries and Condition of Services from 2001–2006.[7]

In September 2023, he succeeded Tung Chee-hwa as chairman of Our Hong Kong Foundation, a prominent local think tank.[8]

Outside of politics, he is President of Asia Financial Holdings and its main subsidiary, Asia Insurance.[9]

Among his business successes are the formation in 1999 of Bank Consortium Trust, a joint venture of nine Hong Kong institutions that provides Mandatory Provident Fund services and of which he was founding chairman. He is also Chairman of The Hong Kong Council of Social Service, chair of the Hong Kong-Thailand Business Council, chairman of the council of Lingnan University and vice-chairman of Oxfam Hong Kong; he is also chairman of the annual HK Oxfam Trailwalker event – a fund-raising 100-kilometre race that attracts teams from around the world.[10] He played a part in the creation of Caring Company, a framework that creates partnerships between the business and welfare sectors. Chan has been awarded Commander (third class) of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand,[11] the Grand Bauhinia Medal (GBM),[12] the Gold Bauhinia Star (GBS) and Justice of the Peace (JP).

He held American and Thai citizenship until 2004, when he was appointed member of the executive council and was required to relinquish all other nationalities.[13]

In April 2021, he wrote an opinion piece, claiming that the NPCSC's decision to reform elections and only allow "patriots" to serve in the government was good and that "Taxpayers should welcome the revamp."[14]

In December 2021, it was reported that Chan was eligible to vote four times in the 2021 Hong Kong legislative election, yielding 0.0411561% of the total voting value (elected seats), which is 8280 times more than the value of an average voter's total voting value.[15]

In October 2022, Chan admitted that Singapore's government was the "winner" over Hong Kong's, in COVID-19 pandemic measures.[16] Chan also said that Hong Kong's talent acquisition was hurt by its COVID-19 measures, and that the city was "too confident" in the past.[17]

In November 2022, after the government sent a delegation to Thailand, Chan said "It sent a message to both locals and the outside world that Hong Kong is returning to normalcy."[18]

Family

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He is married to Singaporean Yeo Peck Leng and has two children.[citation needed]

In 2011, Chan's wife, Yeo Peck Leng, founded an "alternative" private primary school, the Almitas Academy, with the couple's two sons as the only pupils. A year later the strongly Christian school, which operates in a commercial building in North Point, had 12 pupils aged from six to 12, about a third of whom have special needs. The academy works closely with parents to nurture their children to their fullest potential. Effective 1 January 2013, the academy changed its status to a not for profit organisation and also took the opportunity to change the English name of the school to Grace Christian Academy.

According to his 2021 Declaration of Registrable Interests, he owns one residential property in Wan Chai, one in San Francisco, one in Bangkok, 3 in Sai Kung, and 2 parking lots in Sai Kung.[19]

He is also a member of the American Club, Hong Kong Club, Hong Kong Country Club, and others.[19]

Notes

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  1. ^ In this Chinese name, the family name is Chan (陳).

References

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  1. ^ Second SAR Legislative Council formed
  2. ^ Yau Lee Holdings Ltd. (0406): Executive Profile[dead link]
  3. ^ (in Chinese) 陳智思議員 Archived 6 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Barber, Mary (5 May 1988). "After Bout With Rare Heart Disease, Student Creates Legacy of Art". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 5 July 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "News Digest: Hospital teams up with Cathay Pacific to launch medical tourism". The China. 29 December 2010. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013.
  6. ^ "Hong Kong names NPC deputies".
  7. ^ "Bernard Chan". Archived from the original on 9 March 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2007. (page inaccessible)
  8. ^ "Ex-Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa steps down as chairman of think tank he founded". South China Morning Post. 28 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Asia-financial.com - Kumpulan Informasi Terupdate di Asia". Archived from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
  10. ^ http://www.oxfam.org.hk/fs/view/downloadables/pdf/annual-review/2005AR_35-36.pdf[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ Bernard Chan Archived 9 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "CE presents honours". Hong Kong's Information Services Department (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 22 September 2021.
  13. ^ 棄美籍10年 或仍要交稅-陳智思啞子食黃連
  14. ^ "Hong Kong electoral reform a timely cure for Legco paralysis". South China Morning Post. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  15. ^ FactWire (15 December 2021). "Factwire: 41 privileged voters have 7,200 times greater power than a regular Hong Kong voter following election revamp". Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  16. ^ Standard, The. "Bernard Chan calls for '0+0' measure as he admits Singapore to be 'winner' in pandemic". The Standard. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  17. ^ Standard, The. "HK's talent acquisition disadvantaged by Covid curbs: former ExCo convenor". The Standard. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
  18. ^ "CE's Thai visit sends vital message: Bernard Chan - RTHK". news.rthk.hk. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  19. ^ a b "Bernard Chan Interests" (PDF).
[edit]
Legislative Council of Hong Kong
New parliament Member of Legislative Council
Representative for Insurance
1998–2008 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Convenor of the Executive Council
2017–2022 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Albert Hung
Recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal
 Hong Kong order of precedence
Recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal 		Succeeded by
Chan Tung
Recipients of the Grand Bauhinia Medal
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