Lee Tze Chung

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Lee Tze Chung (李子誦) was a Hong Kong journalist who lived from 21 May 1911 to 11 May 2012. He led the pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po as its president and editor-in-chief from 1952 until 1989, when he was dismissed after criticizing the Chinese government for imposing martial law during the Tiananmen Square protests.

Early life and career
Lee was born in Shunde, Guangdong. He did not have much formal schooling and attended a private school. He began working in journalism at 16 as a proofreader in Guangzhou, later becoming an editor at Greater China News. In 1931 he was arrested for sympathizing with students opposed to Japan’s invasion. After his release, he started Livelihood News and held editor roles at several newspapers in Hong Kong and Guangzhou during the war years. He also worked as an editor for Daguang News in Guangzhouwan and later advocated closer cooperation between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was briefly jailed by the Kuomintang in 1947 but released after 12 days. He then edited and ran various publications, including Weekly News in Hong Kong, The Chinese Business News, and the monthly Freedom.

Wen Wei Po and controversy
In 1951 Lee became president and editor-in-chief of the Hong Kong edition of Wen Wei Po. Under his leadership, the paper expanded and hired foreign correspondents. In 1952 he faced charges of publishing seditious articles after Wen Wei Po republished a People’s Daily editorial criticizing Hong Kong authorities. The case was eventually dropped after the British government intervened.

Tiananmen Square and after
On 21 May 1989, after the Chinese government ordered martial law in response to the Tiananmen Square protests, Lee and Wen Wei Po editor Kam Yiu Yu wrote a four-character editorial expressing “deep grief and bitter hatred.” Lee believed the truth about the protests should be reported, even if there were consequences. He wrote an opinion piece the night before the crackdown warning leaders to restrain themselves, but felt it was too late to stop the violence. After the crackdown, Lee fired Wen Wei Po’s deputy editor for trying to steer the paper closer to the government. In July, Xinhua Hong Kong intervened and accepted a resignation Lee had offered in 1985. About 30 Wen Wei Po journalists resigned in support of him.

Later years and politics
After 1989, Lee planned new projects and helped launch Contemporary, a weekly magazine about China and Hong Kong with Ching Cheong. The first issue sold well, but the magazine struggled financially and eventually stopped in 1995. Lee had long been involved in politics. He was an alternate member of the Kuomintang’s Democratic Promotion Association in 1949, a central committee member of the KMT Revolutionary Committee from 1983 to 1992, and a CPPCC member from Hong Kong. In 1985 he opposed using the Hong Kong dollar after 1997, suggesting the Renminbi would reduce corruption. He took leave from CPPCC duties after the Tiananmen crackdown.

Personal life and death
Lee was married to Law Siu Lan, who died in 1981. Lee Tze Chung died on 11 May 2012 at Fung Yiu King Hospital in Hong Kong, at the age of 100. His funeral included a memorial service, and his body was cremated.