Edward Youde was born on 19 June 1924 and died on 5 December 1986. A British diplomat who studied Chinese at the School of Oriental and African Studies and spoke both Chinese and Japanese, he was one of the few Governors able to converse in Chinese. Having served in several China and Far East posts at the Foreign Office and being well versed in China affairs, he was British Ambassador to China from 1974 to 1978. In May 1982 he became the 26th Governor of Hong Kong and was immediately drawn into the diplomatic negotiations over Hong Kong's sovereignty, shuttling between Beijing and London. During his tenure Britain and China held several rounds of talks; the Joint Declaration was initialled in September 1984 and formally signed in Beijing on 19 December 1984 by Zhao Ziyang and Margaret Thatcher, fixing Hong Kong's return to China on 1 July 1997. He also handled the currency arrangements after the 1983 dollar crisis, under which the linked exchange rate was adopted. In 1984 he issued a green paper on representative government, and in 1985 the Legislative Council introduced its first seats returned by functional constituencies and an electoral college, moving the chamber from appointment toward partial election. A low-key, practical man who aimed at a smooth transition, he died of a heart attack at the British Embassy in Beijing while visiting on 5 December 1986, aged 62, the only Governor to die in office, after which the government established the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund to support education and research for Hong Kong people. Born in Wales, he joined the Foreign Office after the Second World War and in the 1950s served at the British mission in Beijing, building his expertise on China. He became Ambassador to China in 1974, returned to London as a deputy under-secretary in 1978 and arrived in Hong Kong as Governor in 1982. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1985. After his death, facilities named after the family included the Edward Youde Aviary, opened in 1992, and the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital, opened in 1993; Lady Youde also served Hong Kong for many years.
Youde's tenure saw the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the first steps toward representative government. After his sudden death the government set up the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund, which sends students to study in Britain and continues his concern for education. His handling of the linked exchange rate and the Legislative Council's electoral arrangements helped prepare the institutional transition before the handover.
Achievements
- 1982 · Became the 26th Governor of Hong Kong.
- 1984 · The Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed.
- 1985 · The Legislative Council introduced its first seats returned by functional constituencies and an electoral college.