In the turbulent Hong Kong, a shadow has long been secretly weaving a vast and complex web. She used to be the No. 2 person in Hong Kong, but after her retirement, she became the synonym of the "Godmother of Hong Kong", and was even named the key link in the "Gang of Four". Why did she, who once stood under the halo of glory, become the center of controversy and turmoil?
Family History and Early Education: The Profound Imprint of Colonial Culture
Chen Fang Ansheng was born in the family of Fang Zhenwu, a heroic anti-Japanese general, and his maternal grandfather Fang Zhenwu was a famous general of the Kuomintang who had made outstanding achievements in the War of Resistance against Japan. and his mother, Fang Zhaoli, was a famous master of Chinese painting at that time, studying under Zhao Shaoang and Zhang Daqian, the grandmasters of Chinese painting.
Chen Fangansheng, who grew up in such a passionate patriotic and artistic family environment, did not develop his life trajectory as expected. Born in Shanghai in 1940, Anson Chan moved to Hong Kong with his family when he was 8 years old. Growing up in Hong Kong during the British colonial period, she received a Western education, and her personal thoughts gradually showed her acceptance and admiration for Western culture.
In college, Anson Chan chose to major in English and developed a deep interest in English literature, eventually earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. During this period, her thoughts and behaviors increasingly showed a strong tendency towards Westernization.
After returning from studying abroad, Anson Chan did not devote himself to the construction and defense of the country like his maternal grandfather, but was obsessed with Western culture and decided to work in the British government in Hong Kong and seek a political career.
Although the government was not open to women at the time, she persisted in applying and finally got her wish in the year she graduated, becoming one of the first female officials approved by the government for women. This decision laid the foundation for her later political path.
In Hong Kong's British government system, Anson Chan rose through the ranks, using her English talents and diplomatic skills to make her mark in politics. In 1962, she entered politics in earnest, quickly gaining recognition in the government for her excellent diplomatic and linguistic skills.
In 1984, Anson Chan became Hong Kong's first female administrator and represented the Hong Kong government in Beijing for the first time in history to attend the signing ceremony of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Even on the eve of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, Anson Chan still proclaimed his patriotism and emphasized his Chinese identity and responsibilities on several public occasions.
However, this did not stop her from secretly communicating and colluding with Western forces behind her back. As Chief Secretary for Administration, her loyalty and nostalgia for Britain have never been put aside during her tenure, and her actions to promote relations between Hong Kong and the United Kingdom have left a lot of political controversy.
Anson Chan has served as Chief Secretary for Administration since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 1997, but his policies and actions have repeatedly distanced himself from the mainland government and openly colluded with opposition forces.
After the handover, she claimed that she hoped that "nothing would change" in Hong Kong, and she had reservations about the proposal for cooperation with the government on the integration of Hong Kong and the mainland, and even stood in opposition to the SAR government on some issues.
Political masks: slogans of democracy under double standards
Before Hong Kong's handover in 1997, she was a member of the power control team and did not actively promote democracy during her administration.
However, after this historical juncture, Anson Chen's image took a dramatic turn, and she appeared as an oppositionist, bluntly putting on the cloak of "democracy brand" and leading numerous protests, attacking governments with different positions, and waving the guise of "democracy" that people yearn for.
In terms of domestic policy, Anson Chen's complex attitude reflects the strategic thinking behind her. Before the handover, she supported the policies of the British government in Hong Kong and was resistant to any kind of moderate reform by the mainland government. However, when the imperial power of the British government in Hong Kong was officially transferred to the Chinese government, she began to fight against the central government, playing the role of a "democratic warrior".
Especially in the reform of education policy, Chen Fangansheng's policy stance has aroused strong repercussions in society. Under his leadership, controversial reforms were introduced, such as downgrading Chinese history as a compulsory subject in secondary schools and promoting English language education, ignoring the people's cultural identity.
This has deepened doubts about whether it is truly a democracy or just a shell of "democracy." The skepticism reflects public concerns about whether she identifies with business, Britain or Chinese mainland.
Anson Chan subverts our assumptions of power and challenges our understanding of democracy. Her actions remind us that political slogans – whether "democratic" or otherwise – do not truly reflect all the faces of a political figure.
Collusion by external forces: the key link in the "Gang of Four".
Anson Chan did not retire from politics after her career in public office, but instead continued to play an important role in politics as a former Chief Secretary for Administration and a veteran politician. In Hong Kong's political predicament, she was frequently exposed to the media, established close ties with international forces, and became one of the important figures in the so-called "Gang of Four".
Her apparent bridging with foreign powers has led some to see her as a key player in Hong Kong's separatist activities. A concrete example is her participation in a series of seminars on the development of democracy in Asia, in collaboration with one of the most influential think tanks in the United States.
At these seminars, Anson Chan not only shared her insights on Hong Kong's political changes, but also highlighted the role of Western countries in supporting Hong Kong's democratic process. Her speech provided an insightful analysis of the Chinese government's impact on Hong Kong's autonomy and called on the international community to take more active steps to support Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement.
In addition, Anson Chan has participated in a number of European forums on human rights and democracy, where she regularly communicates with politicians, academics and activists from other countries on the latest political developments in Hong Kong. At these events, she often criticized the Chinese government's policies in Hong Kong and demonstrated the Hong Kong people's desire for political freedom and the rule of law.
Her remarks usually focus on raising international understanding and concern about the Hong Kong issue, which she believes is an important way for the international community to support the Hong Kong struggle. Anson Chan has also established partnerships with several prominent European and American NGOs through which he has initiated or participated in a number of international conferences and public lectures on the human rights situation in Hong Kong.
She used these platforms to show how Hong Kong has responded to pressure from the Chinese central government and how the international community can effectively support the struggle in Hong Kong. According to reports, Anson Chan has given his views and suggestions to government officials in the United States and the United Kingdom on the political situation in Hong Kong under the framework of various international cooperations.
She has often expressed concerns about the current situation in Hong Kong in front of foreign government officials, promoting outside attention and interference in Hong Kong affairs. She has delivered speeches on various occasions in the United States and Europe, criticizing the Hong Kong SAR government and criticizing the Chinese central government's policies and exercise of sovereignty in Hong Kong.
Anson Chan's words and deeds are seen as creating an international confrontation and provoking the Chinese government's sovereignty over Hong Kong. In addition to speaking in Western countries, Anson Chan has had extensive contacts with foreign NGOs and political groups. Some media exposed her secret meetings with foreign forces, believing that she acted as an agent of foreign forces in Hong Kong's internal affairs.
Her active international travels and speeches have given her growing political influence in Hong Kong, actions that have been accused of interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs and fueling social divisions in the city.
Hong Kong turmoil: The shadow manipulators behind the protests
Through his participation in events such as the universal suffrage movement, the Constitutional Reform Forum, and his cooperation with different opposition forces in Hong Kong, Anson Chan undoubtedly played a role in Hong Kong's political rift and social instability. In particular, during the mass protest movements in Hong Kong in 2014 and 2019, she was active.
Anson Chan played a crucial role in the 2014 Occupy Central movement. It was revealed that she not only actively expressed her support in the front of the media, but also worked behind the scenes with other leaders to plan and direct the movement's strategy. In the run-up to the movement, she participated in several secret meetings to discuss the legal basis of the movement and the possible political consequences.
She used her government experience to advise movement leaders on policymaking and public relations as a way to increase the movement's public impact and legal legitimacy. In addition, Anson Chan has been involved in practical actions, such as organizing legal observation teams to monitor police conduct during the movement and ensure that protests can be carried out within a legal framework.
By the time of the 2019 demonstrations against the proposed extradition bill, Anson Chan's activities were more frequent and prominent. In the early days of the movement, she used her international network to communicate the concerns of Hong Kong citizens about the bill and to try to rally international support.
She has spoken at several international forums detailing the content of the bill and its potential risks, highlighting how it may violate human rights and the principles of the rule of law. In Hong Kong, Anson Chan personally participated in a number of large-scale demonstrations, often making motivational remarks at the demonstrations to boost the morale of protesters.
At the same time, she also secretly met with a number of foreign envoys and representatives of international organizations to brief them on the political situation in Hong Kong and to win the attention and support of the international community for the Hong Kong protests. are all iconic social movements in Hong Kong's history, and Anson Chan's role in these events is noteworthy.
She has reportedly not only publicly expressed support for these movements, but has also actively engaged with foreign powers in an attempt to rally international support for these movements. For a retired senior government official, Anson Chan's actions reveal a strong motive for political reform in Hong Kong.
However, the way she has done – colluding with foreign powers and inciting activities to cause trouble in Hong Kong – has raised questions about her motives and methods. As part of a political movement, her close work with the opposition and her opposition to the government exacerbated the divisions in Hong Kong society, triggering a long period of social unrest and street violence.
In addition, according to public reports, the political money she received revealed the source of funding behind her actions. These funds have enabled her to promote various political agendas and social movements, which have not only deepened social antagonisms, but also undermined society's confidence in just demonstrations.
Anson Chan's actions of accepting financial support to maintain her active position in the political arena have raised further questions about her political stance and intentions. As a result, Anson Chan's actions and the motives behind them have been widely debated, and her role in Hong Kong's social unrest has become one of the most complex chapters in Hong Kong's political history.
Her political pursuits and actions reflect the fierce collision of political forces and social sentiments at a juncture of historical transformation in Hong Kong, as well as the complexity of the intertwining of local politics and international forces in the context of globalization.
Resources:
Hong Kong Government Records
Official release by the Hong Kong SAR Government
Behind the Chaos in Hong Kong: Anson Chan and Hong Kong's Political Game, by Huang Yuhan
Documentary of the Anti-Legislative Amendment Movement in Hong Kong, edited by Zhang Xiaoming