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Vincent Fang Kang, GBS, JP (born 7 May 1943 in Shanghai) is an entrepreneur in the garment industry. He is the former chairman and leader of the Liberal Party of Hong Kong and former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, representing the Wholesale and Retailfunctional constituency.
Fang was born into the Fang family in Shanghai, China on 7 May 1943 during the Second Sino-Japanese War. His older brother is the billionaire industrialist Kenneth Fang, who is known as the "King of Textiles" and founded Fang Brothers Knitting, one of the world's largest apparel-manufacturing business that is separate from the family's textile operations.[1][2] One of Fang's nephews is Douglas Fang, the son of Kenneth Fang and the current chairman of Fang Brothers Holdings, which manages business interests of the descendants of his late father, and is engaged in electronics, retail, property development, energy storage, and auto parts sectors.[3] Fang's son, Alan Fang, is an entrepreneur serving as Chief Executive of Novo Holdings, China's largest multi-brand fashion retailer.[4] He is also known for bringing Formula Electric Racing to Hong Kong in 2016 and is the principal backer of privately-funded Kaleido Park, a 11-hectare European-style floral cultural garden in Lantau Island.[5][6][7][8]
He moved to Hong Kong and attended Wah Yan College, an eminent Jesuit all-boys secondary school in Hong Kong, graduating in 1962. He later obtained both his bachelor's and master's degrees in Science of Textiles Engineering from the North Carolina State University in 1967 and 1969 respectively. After he returned to Hong Kong, he became the Chief Executive of the Toppy Group, managing over 350 stores and 500 outlets worldwide.[9] Under his leadership, Toppy Group has grown into "the Hong Kong fashion industry's greatest success", and amongst its accolades include the International Award at the Hong Kong Business Awards.[10][11] He was also managing director of Fantastic Garments Limited.[12]
Fang has been an Independent Non Executive Director of The Wharf (Holdings) Limited since July 1993. He also served as honorary advisor of Hong Kong Retail Management Association, chairman of the Association of Better Business & Tourism Services and the Director of The Federation of Hong Kong Garment Manufacturers.[12]
Fang is a core member of the pro-business Liberal Party. In the 2004 Legislative Council election, he succeeded Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee to serve as member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong through Wholesale and Retailfunctional constituency when Chow contested in the geographical constituency direct election in New Territories West.[13]
In 2008 after Chairman James Tien Pei-chun and Vice-chairwoman Selina Chow both resigned from the posts after their defeat in the Legislative Council election, he became the vice-chairman with Tommy Cheung Yu-yan. He acted as Chairman when Miriam Lau Kin-yee resigned as chairwoman after she failed to bid for a seat in Hong Kong Island in the 2012 Legislative Council election. He became the Leader of the Liberal Party in 2014, when James Tien was stripped from the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference after calling for Chief ExecutiveCY Leung to resign during the 2014 Hong Kong protests.
2010年4月、方氏が最低賃金を時給20香港ドルに設定すべきだと提案したことで、国民からも所属政党からも批判を浴びた。[ 14 ]彼の発言は、機能別選挙区選出議員は一般市民の懸念や現実からかけ離れていると批判するコミュニティの人々の主張を裏付けるものとなった。また、彼は2008年から2012年の立法会において、議員の中で最も出席率と投票率が低かった。
方氏は香港病院管理局（2000年～2006年）、香港観光局（2003年～2009年）、香港住宅局（2009年～2015年）の委員に任命されている。また、独立汚職対策委員会（ICAC）の業務審査委員会の委員、香港空港管理局の理事（2005年～2011年）も務めている。2008年に香港特別行政区政府から銀紫荊星章（SBS）を授与され、後に金紫荊星章（GBS）を授与された。[ 12 ]