Y. K. PAO: MY FATHER PB

Sir Y. K. Pao (1918-1991) rose from modest origins to become, by late 1979, the worlds 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 Chinas reform, Deng Xiaoping, at the dawn of Chinas economic transformation and during the discussions about Hong Kongs 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.