Li Kwan-ha (; 3 July 1937 - 23 January 2017) was the first ethnic Chinese to be the

Commissioner of Police A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...

in Hong Kong, serving from 1989 to 1994.

Biography

Li was born of

Xinhui Xinhui, alternately romanized as Sunwui and also known as Kuixiang, is an urban district of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China. It grew from a separate city founded at the confluence of the Tan and West Rivers. It has a population of about 735,50 ...

, ancestry

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

on 3 July 1937. He attended King's College and Queen Elizabeth School. He joined the

Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest Hong Kong Disciplined Services, disciplined service under the Security Bureau (Hong Kong), Security Bureau of Hong Kong. Pursuant to the one c ...

in 1957 as a Probationary Sub-Inspector. In 1971, he promoted to Superintendent. He promoted to Chief Superintendent of Police in 1978. He promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police in 1979. He was the first Chinese Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police in 1984 and Deputy Commissioner of Police in April 1985. He rose to the rank of

following the retirement of Raymon Anning in December 1989 and served in the office until his retirement in 1994. After retiring from the force, Li joined tycoon

Li Ka-shing Sir Ka-shing Li (; born 29 July 1928) is a Hong Kong billionaire business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the senior advisor for CK Hutchison Holdings and CK Asset Holdings, after he retired from the Chairman of the Board in May ...

's Cheung Kong (Holdings) and

Hutchison Whampoa Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL) was an investment holding company based in Hong Kong. It was a Fortune Global 500 company and one of the largest companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. HWL was an international corporation with a dive ...

in 1995 while he was still on pre-retirement leave to advise the firms on security matters, which sparked controversies and led the Hong Kong government to tighten the Civil Service regulations in seeking employment after retirement. In 1996, Li was involved in the kidnapping incident of Li Ka-shing's son Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, and Walter Kwok Ping-sheung, by notorious gangster Cheung Tze-keung, also known as "Big Spender." During the 1997 handover period, Li became a member of the HKSAR Preparatory Committee and the

Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference The Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) is a political advisory body in the People's Republic of China and a central part of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s United front (China), united front system. Its members adv ...

. He was also a member of the Selection Committee which was responsible for electing the Provisional Legislative Council and the first

Chief Executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the HKSAR in 1996. Li's wife, whom he met at Queen Elizabeth School, died in November 2007. One of Li's children used to live in Vancouver, Canada but moved back to Hong Kong to keep Li company. The other one is living in London with Li's grandsons. Li died on 23 January 2017 after collapsing at his home in

Pok Fu Lam Pok Fu Lam ( zh, t=薄扶林, links=no, labels=no) or Pokfulam is a residential area on Hong Kong Island, at the western end of the Southern District. It is a valley between Victoria Peak and Mount Kellett, around Telegraph Bay. Pok Fu L ...

at the age of 79. He was certified dead after being rushed to Queen Mary Hospital.

Honours

* : **

Colonial Police Long Service Medal (1975) ** UK Colonial Police Medal for Meritorious Service ribbon bar

Recipient of the Colonial Police Medal (CPM) (1980) ** Colonial Police Long Service Medal first clasps (1982) ** Queens Police Medal for Merit

Recipient of the

Queen's Police Medal The King's Police Medal (KPM) is awarded to police in the United Kingdom for gallantry or distinguished service. It was also formerly awarded within the wider British Empire, including Commonwealth countries, most of which now have their own hono ...

(QPM) (1985) ** Colonial Police Long Service Medal second clasps (1987) ** Commander of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(CBE) (1990)

References

External links

The Force's "firsts"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Li, Kwan-ha Li, Kwan Ha People from Xinhui District Li, Kwan Ha Hong Kong Police Force Li, Kwan Ha Government officials of Hong Kong Alumni of King's College, Hong Kong Members of the Preparatory Committee for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Cantonese people Members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Hong Kong recipients of the Queen's Police Medal Members of the Selection Committee of Hong Kong Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Recipients of the Colonial Police Medal Police officers from British Hong Kong