Former Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun Ying’s daughter Leung Chai Yan dies at 34

Leung Chai Yan, daughter of former Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun Ying. Photo from Leung Chai Yan's Instagram

According to the South China Morning Post, the news was confirmed by her father in a Facebook post early Wednesday morning.

"Chai Yan has passed away, very suddenly," Leung Chun Ying, 71, wrote. "She left without saying a word, simply lying peacefully in bed. She even proactively went to get a flu shot just a few days ago."

Leung Chun Ying also expressed his gratitude for the police and forensic investigations, which have ruled out suicide and other suspicious circumstances.

"Thank you to all our friends for your care, understanding, and condolences during this most difficult time for our family," he added, as quoted by Global Times.

According to police reports, Leung Chai Yan was found unresponsive by building employees at her residence on Oi Tak Street in Chai Wan on Tuesday evening. Paramedics confirmed her death after they were called to the scene. Authorities indicated that the cause of death will be determined following the results of a postmortem examination.

Leung Chai Yan’s final Instagram post, dated March 6, revealed she was "really sick" and would "revert back in [three to five] business days." In another post earlier in the month, she expressed frustration with 2024, calling it a "horror show day after day" and mentioning that it "was just somehow not my year."

Leung Chai Yan studied law at the London School of Economics and Political Science but took a leave of absence and returned to Hong Kong in June 2013. Her health struggles were well-documented, particularly during her father’s tenure as Hong Kong’s leader from 2012 to 2017.

In Dec. 2016, Leung Chun Ying announced he would not seek re-election to spare his family from the "unbearable pressure" of his election campaign. At the time, he revealed that Leung Chai Yan had been hospitalized for over two months and that he had been visiting her nightly for more than an hour each session.