Rita Fan

Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai (Chinese: 范徐麗泰; née Hsu; born Hsu Ching-li (徐靜麗); born 20 September 1945) is a senior Hong Kong politician. She was the first President of the Hong Kong SAR Legislative Council from 1998 to 2008 and a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC). First stepping into politics when she was appointed to the colonial Legislative Council in 1983, she rose to the Executive Council in 1989 until she resigned from the colonial services in 1992. She developed a close relationship with the Beijing authorities subsequently, assuming the office of the President of the Beijing-installed Provisional Legislative Council on the eve of the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong. She continued her position as the President of the SAR Legislative Council and first contested in the geographical constituency direct election in Hong Kong Island in 2004. Shortly before retiring from the Legislative Council in 2008, Fan became the member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) in 2008, where she had been the Hong Kong deputy of the national legislature from 1997. She served in the Standing Committee until her retirement in 2018.