Dr Tang Hsiang-chien, GBS, OBE, JP
Honorary Founding Chairman and Executive Director of Meadville Holdings Ltd

Nominator
The Hon Andrew Leung
Chairman, Sun Hing Knitting Factory Ltd

In the 1950s, Dr Tang Hsiang-chien moved from Jiangsu’s Wuxi to Hong Kong to build his textile empire. In 1968, he founded the Peninsula Knitters Ltd which has led the textile industry for the past decades. Recognising early on the economic potential of mainland China, he was a pioneer to invest in the Mainland during the late 1970s. He launched large-scale projects in Xinjiang and established the Xinjiang Tianshan Woollen Spinning and Knitting Co Ltd. Dr Tang also ran the first ever Hong Kong-Shanghai joint-venture corporation - Uni-Shanghai Wooltex Ltd. His entrepreneurship has become an example for Hong Kong industrialists to follow.

With success in the textile industry, Dr Tang expanded into electronics manufacturing. In 1985, he founded Meadville Group. At that time, Meadville operated the first hi-tech printed circuit board manufacturing business in Dongguan. Under Dr Tang’s leadership, Meadville's business expanded to Shanghai. With state-of the-art technology, Meadville was a top-tier printed circuit board manufacturer in the Mainland. To achieve technological breakthrough and enhance human resources, Dr Tang set up a training centre in Shanghai in 1999. Now, into his mid 80s, Dr Tang is still involved in the daily business of Meadville. In 2007, he led Meadville to list on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Dr Tang is dedicated to education and has donated generously to local and Mainland education. He also made remarkable contributions to the establishment of the Hong Kong Standard and Testing Centre. Moreover, he established the ‘Peninsula Education Foundation’ and ‘Tang Kwan-yuen Education Foundation’, the latter is named after his late father.

Dr Tang has devoted great efforts to serve the community; he has taken up many significant positions, such as Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Board Member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Chairman of the Hong Kong Cotton Spinners Association, Member of Consultative Committee for the Basic Law of HKSAR, Hong Kong Affairs Advisor to the Government of the PRC, Board Member of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chairman of the New Asia College of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, member of Preparatory Committee & Selection Committee for HKSAR and Member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. Dr Tang was conferred the Golden Bauhinia Star by the HKSAR Government in 1999 in recognition of his significant contributions to Hong Kong.

Judges' comments

• Pioneer of Hong Kong industries
• An iconic model for industrialists
• Profound contributions to society