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HK media go wild as finance chief weds diving queen
2002-07-31
HONG KONG - Hong Kong newspapers, usually full of grim news about the economy, had a field day on Wednesday after the territory's 50-year-old finance chief confirmed he had wed a Chinese diving queen less than half his age in a secret ceremony in Hawaii.Many newspapers splashed the long awaited news on the front page with file pictures of Financial Secretary Antony Leung and 23-year-old Fu Mingxia, a three time Olympic champion. Pictures of the ceremony were not made available after Leung made a brief statement late on Tuesday but that didn't stop some of Hong Kong's bolder tabloids, which simply published old photos of a grinning Fu and added computer-generated wedding gowns. "As it is basically a private matter, we would prefer to keep it low-key," Leung said in the statement, ending months of intense speculation since he confirmed in March that the two were dating. Some local newspapers had reported earlier in the week that the pair quietly registered their marriage in mid-July. Local paparazzi quickly planted themselves outside Leung's official residence in an exclusive district, hoping to catch a glimpse of the diving queen on the sprawling grounds. The lanky, little known banker and divorcee leapt into the political limelight in early 2001 when leader Tung Chee-hwa made him Hong Kong's financial secretary. NONE OF MY BUSINESS However, while newspapers were quick to toast the union, some members of the public were suspicious about the timing of the news leak. In the last few days Leung has faced stinging public criticism over a proposal by the stock exchange to delist low priced "penny" stocks last week. The plan sparked a sharp sell-off in many stocks last Friday. The exchange abruptly suspended its proposal on Sunday, and the government is now trying to control the damage. "His marriage is none of my business! Tell him not to try to distract the public from the real issue with his stupid marriage," protested saleswoman Annie Chan. Newspapers were also quick to seize on a related issue which has sparked public debate: when will the finance secretary's new bride be granted residency rights in Hong Kong? Many mainland Chinese wives of Hong Kong men have waited years, even decades, for approval to live permanently in this southern Chinese city. Even though the former British colony was returned to China in 1997 it has retained much autonomy, including strict border controls. In recent months, hundreds of illegal mainland Chinese who stole into Hong Kong to be with their families have been deported to the mainland. But political analyst Andy Ho said Fu was likely to be on the fastrack to Hong Kong residency based solely on her own credentials. "Even without this marriage, if an Olympic winner in China wishes to settle here, we would embrace her under schemes like the importation of mainland talent," Ho said. "Coaches don't have problems coming here. I would be very disappointed if our system cannot accommodate special cases." (Reuters)
HK media go wild as finance chief weds diving queen (2002-07-31)Diving queen Fu weds HK's Leung in Hawaii (2002-07-29)H.K. financial chief confirms dating Mingxia (2002-03-24)
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