TNAG-0589-FCO40-722-Private-visits-of-leading-personalities-from-Hong-Kong-to-UK-1976 — Page 79

CONFIDENTIAL & PERSONAL

PERSONALITY NOTE

SIR YUET KEUNG KAN

1.

Sir Y K Kan was born in 1913 and is by training a solicitor. He is a principal in Lo and Lo, one of the leading law firms in Hong Kong; Chairman of the Bank of East Asia and a number of invest- ment firms; and a Director of a large number of other companies, including the Hong Kong Electricity and Telephone Companies and at least one subsidiary of Jardine Matheson. He has been active over virtually the whole range of Community affairs and has a long

record of public service, beginning with his appointment to the (comparatively unimportant) Urban Council in 1957. He was a Member of the Legislative Council from 1961 to 1972 and became a Member of the Executive Council in 1966.

2. Sir Y K Kan is in appearance modest and unassuming but, according to the Governor, he is one of the few leading citizens of Hong Kong with true political flair. He is very proud of Hong Kong's achievements and regards much of the criticism levelled at conditions in the Colony as misdirected. He is by temperament very conservative by British standards but he has been instrumental in promoting the Governor's views, radical by Hong Kong's standards, on such matters as broadening the social basis of the Legislative Council.

3.

Sir Y K Kan is an Anglican; is married; and has three children. He was educated in Hong Kong and at London University.

He was knighted in the New Year's Honours 1972. His recreations are tennis, golf and swimming.

CONFIDENTIAL & PERSONAL