Ex-vice premier Liu Yandong passes away at 81

Former vice premier and state councilor Liu Yandong passed away due to illness at the age of 81 in Beijing on Wednesday afternoon, according to Xinhua News Agency. Liu also served as a member of the Political Bureau of the 17th and 18th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and a vice chairperson of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. Liu was "an excellent Party member, a time-tested and loyal communist fighter, and an outstanding leader in the CPC's united front work and in the fields of education, science and technology, health, and children and women work in China," an official statement said. Chief Executive John Lee expressed his profound sorrow over Liu's passing, and extended his condolences to her family. "[Former Vice Premier Liu] served as a member of the Preparatory Committee of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the National People's Congress and deputy leader of the Central Coordination Group for Hong Kong and Macao Affairs, and had always cared for and supported the long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong," a statement read. Lee recalled Liu's multiple visits to the SAR, where she reached out to people from different sectors and fully...