Y. K. PAO: MY FATHER PB – ANNA PAO

Sir Y. K. Pao (1918-1991) rose from modest origins to become, by late 1979, the world s largest private shipowner. His Hong Kong-based company World-Wide Shipping diversified into property, hotels, retail, media, telecommunications, airlines and banking-a hugely influential business empire at a time of rapid regional growth. A philanthropist with extensive international connections, Pao became an unofficial Chinese ambassador at large, forging a strong relationship with the architect of China s reform, Deng Xiaoping, at the dawn of China s economic transformation and during the discussions about Hong Kong s future. In this affectionate yet unsentimental account, Anna Pao Sohmen recounts the pivotal role played by her father at a key historical juncture and the balance he struck between Chinese and British allegiance, between business and politics, and between capitalism and socialism.