Lam Hang-chi, founder of Hong Kong newspaper Hsin Tao, has died, according to reports by Star Headline and Ming Pao. Star Headline reported that he was 86, while neither report gave an exact date of death or further details.
Lam’s original name was Lam Shan-muk. He joined Ming Pao in the 1960s; Star Headline reported that he later served as deputy editor-in-chief of Ming Pao Evening News and oversaw its economics section.
Lam founded Hsin Tao in 1973. Star Headline reported that his wife, Lok Yau-mei, and media figure Lo Chi-ping were also involved in founding the newspaper; Ming Pao did not mention co-founders.
Ming Pao reported that Lam founded Hsin Tao Monthly in 1977. He became known for political and economic commentary and was described in the reports as a leading or pioneering writer in Hong Kong.
Star Headline reported that Lam wrote Hsin Tao’s political and economic editorial commentary from 1973 to 1996, before moving to a less time-intensive column in early 1997. Ming Pao later reported that he announced in a July 2021 Hsin Tao column that he would stop writing. The supplied reports do not clarify whether these referred to different forms of writing.
Ming Pao reported that PCCW chairman Richard Li Tzar-kai took control of Hsin Tao in 2006, while Lam continued writing for the newspaper. Lam and his wife sold all their remaining shares in the newspaper business in 2014, according to the report.
In his July 2021 announcement, Lam said his health was acceptable and that he still had the freedom to choose amid the prevailing circumstances. The supplied reports do not include a confirmed death date or details from his family or Hsin Tao.