Former Chief Secretary of Hong Kong and Kennedy of School of Government (KSG) graduate, Donald Y. Tsang, became the acting Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China on March 12.

Tsang was approved for the post after the Beijing central government accepted the resignation of former Chief Executive Tung Chee-Hwa.

Tsang will serve as Chief Executive until July 10, when formal elections will determine who serves the remaining two years of Chee-Hwa’s 10-year term.

According to Hong Kong Basic Law—a constitution underpinned by a treaty between China and Great Britain—Tsang’s duties as Chief Executive of Hong Kong are to head the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, an area exempt from the socialist system and policies.

He will also be accountable to the central government of China, a condition that began in 1997 when Great Britain’s lease of Hong Kong expired.

Tsang, who participated in KSG’s Mason Fellows Program, is said to espouse both economic values and Confucian ideals.

“He took all the number-crunching courses, macroeconomics, microeconomics...the important thing was to improve life in a material sense,” said former classmate and Mason Fellow, Mohan Guruswamy. “He valued communitarian values more than individual freedoms...he used to tell me that the Indian system spent too much time on individual liberties, that it needed more discipline.”

According to the KSG website, the Mason Fellows Program “is designed to prepare demonstrated leaders from developing, newly industrialized, and transitional countries to address the world’s most compelling development challenges,” and it includes an impressive lists of alums.

Former Mason Fellows include Elbegdori Tsakhia, Prime Minister of Mongolia, LeeHsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, Frank Chikane, executive head of the presidency and secretary of the Cabinet in South Africa, as well as leaders within development banks, humanitarian aid programs, ministry departments, embassies, national assemblies, state bureaus, and other organizations which facilitate growth.

But according to Guruswamy, Tsang was not always so immersed in learning about policy and development.

Guruswamy remembers that Tsang began wearing his signature accoutrement—a bow tie—while at Harvard. They even visited the Coop together to buy bow ties for themselves.

“He was very sociable, cutting jokes, laughing loudly. The other Chinese were more reserved,” said Guruswamy.

And Great Britain recognized Tsang with its ultimate vote of confidence—Queen Elizabeth II knighted Tsang as Sir Donald in 1997. This honor came just after Great Britain appointed Tsang as the first Chinese Financial Secretary in 1995, after 150 years of British incumbents.

Tsang then went on to become the chief secretary and chief secretary for administration-—the second highest civil position in Hong Kong—before becoming chief executive.

Despite his rise in government, Tsang has not forgotten his roots in Cambridge, said former KSG Dean Joseph S. Nye.

“Donald was one of our brightest and most supportive alumni. He always took time to see me when I visited Hong Kong,” Nye said.