John So
Encyclopedia
John Chun Sai So JP is a Chinese-Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria
, Australia
. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.
First elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2004, So is the longest-serving Lord Mayor of Melbourne, serving for seven-and-a-half years. On 1 October 2008, John So announced he would not seek re-election for a third term as Lord Mayor.
with family roots in Shunde
, Guangdong
, China
on 2 October 1946. When he was 17 years old, he moved to Melbourne and completed his secondary education at University High School. He then went on to tertiary studies, obtaining a Diploma of Education
and Bachelor of Science
from the University of Melbourne
. After graduating, he taught physics at Fitzroy High School
. So became a business operator in 1973, with interests across Australia, Hong Kong and China. So has been married twice and has four children. His wife, Wendy Cheng, served as the Lady Mayoress of Melbourne and chaired the Lady Mayoress' Committee between 2001 and 2008.
So's political career has included positions as Director of Asia Society's
AustralAsia Centre, Commissioner of Victoria Ethics Affairs Commission, Director of Melbourne Water
, Honorary Member of World Mayors Council on Climate Change, former Executive Member of the Committee For Melbourne
, President of Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Racing Carnival and Chairman of the Victorian Chinese Welfare Centre.
So is actively involved in Australia's major sporting events. He is the number one ticket holder for the Melbourne Demons football club and number one ticket holder for the Melbourne Victory
football (soccer) club.
In 1991, So contested politics for the first time and was elected as one of the Councillors of the City of Melbourne
. He was re-elected in 1996 and 1999. In 1999, So came within one vote of being elected Lord Mayor.
In 2001 the Victorian Government dismissed the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and Councillors for ongoing infighting, which resulted in the Council's inability to function. The Government immediately reformed the system to give the Lord Mayor a stronger mandate. Under the new system, the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor were to be directly elected by the citizens in a US Presidential-style election, as opposed to being elected by the Councillors.
' preferred candidate, Peter McMullin
and former Federal Minister and Australian Democrats
founder, Don Chipp
.
So presided over a prosperous term in which Melbourne was voted World's Most Livable City on more than one occasion. Along with television presenter Livinia Nixon
, he was the face of the "That's Melbourne" campaign to encourage tourism to the city. He campaigned against crime, and was a member of the Police Minister's Crime Prevention Council. He also pushed for the Federal Government to build a national indigenous museum in Melbourne.
So was criticised for his communication skills, partly due to his heavily accented English. A restaurant with ties to So was also fined $75,000 for breaches of the Food Safety Act by his own Council. In 2002, So was accused of putting his relationship with the Chinese Government ahead of Melbourne by refusing to meet the Dalai Lama
during his Australian visit. The Council was also punished by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for prohibiting the Falun Gong
from participating in the city's annual Moomba
parade.
, John So was warmly welcomed by Melbourne as a figurehead of the city, more than Victoria Premier Steve Bracks
and Prime Minister John Howard
. This led to "John So, he's our bro'" t-shirts and "John So for PM'" shirts and stickers being manufactured and worn by some Melburnians as a testament to the city's tolerance and multiculturalism
. John So has since been raised to near-cult status, with the mere mention of his name enough to invoke cheers and chants from many people. At the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, at every mention of So's name, there was a tremendous applause from the crowd, which got progressively louder with each occurrence. This 'in joke' was a good example of Australia's sometimes 'off-beat' humour, but also a subtle means of supporting So, who had been pushed out of the limelight by Premier Bracks during official celebrations throughout the Games.
; construction of the Council's second building, Council House 2
, the first Six Green Star rating building in Australia; development, in partnership with the State Government, of the New Convention Centre; and refurbishment of Melbourne's key shopping precinct Bourke Street Mall. During So's term, the Council also regained from the State Government jurisdiction over Melbourne's new waterfront, Melbourne Docklands
.
. So used his casting vote to defeat a 'vote of no confidence' by opposition councillors over the incident. Following the vote, opposition councillors stepped up their attack and criticised So for not meeting with the Dalai Lama during his 2007 visit. They claimed So had also tried to stop them from meeting the Dalai Lama.
Mayor Job Cohen
and Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed
. World Mayor cited, amongst other things, the successful staging of the 2006 Commonwealth Games and So's popularity among the young population of Melbourne as a reason for his victory. In its verdict, the judging panel described So as "possibly the first city leader to enjoy 'cult status.
So told the media he was "delighted to be elected World Mayor 2006" and that "the honour belongs to the amazing people of this wonderful city and the hard working team at the City of Melbourne".
Jeff Kennett
might be able to challenge So effectively and Kennett confirmed that several Liberal Party
members had approached him on this matter. In late September 2008, Kennett announced that he would not run for Lord Mayor.
On 1 October 2008, So officially announced that he would not seek re-election, stating "you can't work at 110 per cent forever and that is what this job requires." So's decision not to seek a third term immediately drew candidates from a field of high-profile Australians which included former Victoria Opposition Leader and Liberal Party
Leader Robert Doyle
and Spotless
heir-apparent and former Mayor of Geelong, Peter McMullin
.
All members of So's team announced their candidacy for the November 2008 elections and were spread across various teams, leading critics to accuse So of trying to retain behind-the-curtain control. So's right-hand man and Chief of Staff for seven years, Kevin Louey, was the lead councillor candidate on Peter McMullin's
team. So's Deputy Lord Mayor, Gary Singer
, and So's lead Councillor, Cathrine Ng, both stood for Lord Mayor while So's former deputy, Susan Riley, stood as Robert Doyle's Deputy Lord Mayor candidate. Two other councillors of So's team stood as Will Fowle's deputy and Robert Doyle's lead councillor candidate respectively.
So publicly expressed his support for Peter McMullin
's candidacy ahead of a number of So's allies.
On 30 November 2008, Robert Doyle was elected to succeed John So as Lord Mayor of Melbourne, defeating then-Councillor Catherine Ng in a tightly contested election.
ahead of other candidates including Job Cohen
, Ray Nagin
, Michael Bloomberg
and Shintaro Ishihara
In 2006, So was among 11 recipients of the You Bring Charm to the World Award, presented at Peking University
in Beijing. The Award was jointly sponsored by Phoenix Television
, Baidu
, and Beijing Youth Daily and recognised the achievements of the "most influential Chinese in 2006".
In 2007, So received a Doctor of the University
from Victoria University
, in recognition of his services to local government.
In 2010, So was appointed as one of the 6 panel Members of the Lee Kuan Yew
World City Prize Council.
So is also a Member of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change.
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.
First elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2004, So is the longest-serving Lord Mayor of Melbourne, serving for seven-and-a-half years. On 1 October 2008, John So announced he would not seek re-election for a third term as Lord Mayor.
Background
So was born in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
with family roots in Shunde
Shunde
Shunde District is a district of Foshan prefecture-level city in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong Province, southeast China.-Administration:Shunde was a county-level city until December 8, 2002, when it became a district of Foshan prefecture-level city...
, Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
on 2 October 1946. When he was 17 years old, he moved to Melbourne and completed his secondary education at University High School. He then went on to tertiary studies, obtaining a Diploma of Education
Diploma of Education
The Diploma of Education, often abbreviated to DipEd or GradDipEd, is a postgraduate qualification offered in many Commonwealth countries including Australia, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom...
and Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
. After graduating, he taught physics at Fitzroy High School
Fitzroy High School
Fitzroy High School is a school catering for Years 7 to 12, located in Falconer Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia. The school was first opened in 1915, but closed in 1992. After a long community campaign, it re-opened in 2004.History...
. So became a business operator in 1973, with interests across Australia, Hong Kong and China. So has been married twice and has four children. His wife, Wendy Cheng, served as the Lady Mayoress of Melbourne and chaired the Lady Mayoress' Committee between 2001 and 2008.
So's political career has included positions as Director of Asia Society's
Asia Society
The Asia Society is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the world about Asia. It has several centers in the United States and around the world Hong Kong, Manila, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, and Melbourne...
AustralAsia Centre, Commissioner of Victoria Ethics Affairs Commission, Director of Melbourne Water
Melbourne Water
Melbourne Water is a government owned statutory authority that controls much of the water system in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia including the reservoirs, and thesewerage and drainage system that services the city.- Overview :...
, Honorary Member of World Mayors Council on Climate Change, former Executive Member of the Committee For Melbourne
Committee For Melbourne
The Committee for Melbourne is a non-profit organisation based in Melbourne, Australia, made up of businesses and organisation. The Committee was founded in 1985 to bring together businesses, academia and non-profit organisations to do activities, networking, and policy advice to government...
, President of Lord Mayor's Charitable Fund, Chairman of the Asia Pacific Racing Carnival and Chairman of the Victorian Chinese Welfare Centre.
So is actively involved in Australia's major sporting events. He is the number one ticket holder for the Melbourne Demons football club and number one ticket holder for the Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
football (soccer) club.
Politics
City of Melbourne
The City of Melbourne is a Local Government Area in Victoria, Australia, located in the central city area of Melbourne. The city has an area of 36 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 93,105 people. The city's motto is "Vires acquirit eundo" which means "She gathers strength as she...
. He was re-elected in 1996 and 1999. In 1999, So came within one vote of being elected Lord Mayor.
In 2001 the Victorian Government dismissed the Lord Mayor, Deputy Lord Mayor and Councillors for ongoing infighting, which resulted in the Council's inability to function. The Government immediately reformed the system to give the Lord Mayor a stronger mandate. Under the new system, the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor were to be directly elected by the citizens in a US Presidential-style election, as opposed to being elected by the Councillors.
First term as Lord Mayor, 2001–2004
In the 2001 Lord Mayor Elections, So polled the second highest number of primary votes of 14.9%. The candidate with the most primary votes, Peter Sheppard, received 15.2%, but after preferences were distributed, So comfortably defeated Sheppard and became the first directly elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne. So also defeated then-Premier Steve BracksSteve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
' preferred candidate, Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin was the Mayor of Geelong in 2006 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne between 1996 and 1999. McMullin served as a Councillor of the City of Geelong since 2004 and served as a Councillor of the City of Melbourne from 1996 to 1999...
and former Federal Minister and Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
founder, Don Chipp
Don Chipp
Donald Leslie Chipp, AO was an Australian politician, and the inaugural leader of the Australian Democrats.-Early life:...
.
So presided over a prosperous term in which Melbourne was voted World's Most Livable City on more than one occasion. Along with television presenter Livinia Nixon
Livinia Nixon
Livinia Nixon is an Australian television presenter and actress best known for her roles on the Nine Network as weather presenter on Nine News Melbourne and as co-host on the long running variety series Hey Hey It's Saturday....
, he was the face of the "That's Melbourne" campaign to encourage tourism to the city. He campaigned against crime, and was a member of the Police Minister's Crime Prevention Council. He also pushed for the Federal Government to build a national indigenous museum in Melbourne.
So was criticised for his communication skills, partly due to his heavily accented English. A restaurant with ties to So was also fined $75,000 for breaches of the Food Safety Act by his own Council. In 2002, So was accused of putting his relationship with the Chinese Government ahead of Melbourne by refusing to meet the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
during his Australian visit. The Council was also punished by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal for prohibiting the Falun Gong
Falun Gong
Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline first introduced in China in 1992 by its founder, Li Hongzhi, through public lectures. It combines the practice of meditation and slow-moving qigong exercises with the moral philosophy...
from participating in the city's annual Moomba
Moomba
Moomba is Australia's largest free community festival and one of the longest running festivals in Australia. Held annually in the city of Melbourne, Australia, Moomba is celebrated during the Labour Day long weekend , and has been celebrated since 1955...
parade.
2004 election
Though he had been a relatively popular mayor, So was widely expected to be defeated at the 2004 elections. Despite this, he polled well on election day, achieving 42.2% of the primary votes (compared to his nearest rival who received 9.2%), and was re-elected. So's ticket for the Councillor positions was also successful, winning an historic majority in the Town Hall.Commonwealth Games
During the 2006 Commonwealth Games2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
, John So was warmly welcomed by Melbourne as a figurehead of the city, more than Victoria Premier Steve Bracks
Steve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
and Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
. This led to "John So, he's our bro'" t-shirts and "John So for PM'" shirts and stickers being manufactured and worn by some Melburnians as a testament to the city's tolerance and multiculturalism
Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is the appreciation, acceptance or promotion of multiple cultures, applied to the demographic make-up of a specific place, usually at the organizational level, e.g...
. John So has since been raised to near-cult status, with the mere mention of his name enough to invoke cheers and chants from many people. At the closing ceremony of the 2006 Commonwealth Games, at every mention of So's name, there was a tremendous applause from the crowd, which got progressively louder with each occurrence. This 'in joke' was a good example of Australia's sometimes 'off-beat' humour, but also a subtle means of supporting So, who had been pushed out of the limelight by Premier Bracks during official celebrations throughout the Games.
Planning and development
So presided over a number of major developments throughout his second term. The most significant of these include the refurbishment of the city's key shopping complex, Melbourne Central Shopping CentreMelbourne Central Shopping Centre
Melbourne Central is a large shopping centre, office, and public transport hub in the city of Melbourne, Australia. The complex includes the Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, which was refurbished in 2005 by architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall; the Melbourne Central railway station ; and the 211 m...
; construction of the Council's second building, Council House 2
Council House 2
Council House 2 , is an office building located at 240 Little Collins Street in the CBD, in Melbourne, Australia. It is occupied by the City of Melbourne council, and in April, 2005, became the first purpose-built office building in Australia to achieve a maximum Six Green Star rating, certified by...
, the first Six Green Star rating building in Australia; development, in partnership with the State Government, of the New Convention Centre; and refurbishment of Melbourne's key shopping precinct Bourke Street Mall. During So's term, the Council also regained from the State Government jurisdiction over Melbourne's new waterfront, Melbourne Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
.
Controversies
In 2007, So was criticised for redundancies of staff at the Melbourne City Council after an efficiency review found that the Council had a A$4.2 million black holeBlack hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
. So used his casting vote to defeat a 'vote of no confidence' by opposition councillors over the incident. Following the vote, opposition councillors stepped up their attack and criticised So for not meeting with the Dalai Lama during his 2007 visit. They claimed So had also tried to stop them from meeting the Dalai Lama.
World Mayor
So's popularity in office resulted in him being named World Mayor for 2006. He won the contest ahead of AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
Mayor Job Cohen
Job Cohen
Marius Job Cohen is a Dutch social democratic politician and former legal scholar of Jewish background. Since 2010 he has been the leader of the Labour Party and since June 17, 2010 he has been a member of the House of Representatives, where he also is the Parliamentary group leader of the Labour...
and Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed
Stephen R. Reed
Stephen Russell Reed is the former and longest-serving mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He moved to Harrisburg with his parents as a boy.- Biography :...
. World Mayor cited, amongst other things, the successful staging of the 2006 Commonwealth Games and So's popularity among the young population of Melbourne as a reason for his victory. In its verdict, the judging panel described So as "possibly the first city leader to enjoy 'cult status.
So told the media he was "delighted to be elected World Mayor 2006" and that "the honour belongs to the amazing people of this wonderful city and the hard working team at the City of Melbourne".
Retirement as Lord Mayor
Speculation had been rife that So was preparing to stand for the Lord Mayoral Elections in November 2008. Rumours surfaced that former Victoria PremierPremiers of Victoria
The Premier of Victoria is the leader of the government in the Australian state of Victoria. The Premier is appointed by the Governor of Victoria, and is the leader of the political party able to secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly....
Jeff Kennett
Jeff Kennett
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC , a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national depression initiative.- Early life :Kennett was born in Melbourne on 2 March...
might be able to challenge So effectively and Kennett confirmed that several Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
members had approached him on this matter. In late September 2008, Kennett announced that he would not run for Lord Mayor.
On 1 October 2008, So officially announced that he would not seek re-election, stating "you can't work at 110 per cent forever and that is what this job requires." So's decision not to seek a third term immediately drew candidates from a field of high-profile Australians which included former Victoria Opposition Leader and Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
Leader Robert Doyle
Robert Doyle
Robert Keith Bennett Doyle is an Australian politician and the 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, elected on 30 November 2008...
and Spotless
Spotless
Spotless is an Australian company which provides services such as cleaning, catering, facilities management and non-core business support to outsourcing markets in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, as well as manufacturing garment hanger systems, labels and packaging for garment manufacturing...
heir-apparent and former Mayor of Geelong, Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin was the Mayor of Geelong in 2006 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne between 1996 and 1999. McMullin served as a Councillor of the City of Geelong since 2004 and served as a Councillor of the City of Melbourne from 1996 to 1999...
.
All members of So's team announced their candidacy for the November 2008 elections and were spread across various teams, leading critics to accuse So of trying to retain behind-the-curtain control. So's right-hand man and Chief of Staff for seven years, Kevin Louey, was the lead councillor candidate on Peter McMullin's
Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin was the Mayor of Geelong in 2006 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne between 1996 and 1999. McMullin served as a Councillor of the City of Geelong since 2004 and served as a Councillor of the City of Melbourne from 1996 to 1999...
team. So's Deputy Lord Mayor, Gary Singer
Gary Singer
Gary Singer is an Australian politician. He was the Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne from 2004 to 2008, serving under John So. He ran to succeed So as Lord Mayor upon his retirement in 2008, but was defeated by former state Liberal Party leader Robert Doyle.Singer has a background as a...
, and So's lead Councillor, Cathrine Ng, both stood for Lord Mayor while So's former deputy, Susan Riley, stood as Robert Doyle's Deputy Lord Mayor candidate. Two other councillors of So's team stood as Will Fowle's deputy and Robert Doyle's lead councillor candidate respectively.
So publicly expressed his support for Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin
Peter McMullin was the Mayor of Geelong in 2006 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne between 1996 and 1999. McMullin served as a Councillor of the City of Geelong since 2004 and served as a Councillor of the City of Melbourne from 1996 to 1999...
's candidacy ahead of a number of So's allies.
On 30 November 2008, Robert Doyle was elected to succeed John So as Lord Mayor of Melbourne, defeating then-Councillor Catherine Ng in a tightly contested election.
Honours and Positions
In 2006, So was named World MayorWorld Mayor
World Mayor is a biennial award organized by The City Mayors Foundation since 2004. It intends to raise the profile of mayors worldwide, as well as honour those who have served their communities well and who have contributed to the well-being of cities, nationally and internationally...
ahead of other candidates including Job Cohen
Job Cohen
Marius Job Cohen is a Dutch social democratic politician and former legal scholar of Jewish background. Since 2010 he has been the leader of the Labour Party and since June 17, 2010 he has been a member of the House of Representatives, where he also is the Parliamentary group leader of the Labour...
, Ray Nagin
Ray Nagin
Clarence Ray Nagin, Jr. is a former mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Nagin gained international note in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the New Orleans area....
, Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
and Shintaro Ishihara
Shintaro Ishihara
is a Japanese author, actor, politician and the governor of Tokyo since 1999.- Early life and artistic career :Shintarō was born in Suma-ku, Kobe. His father Kiyoshi was an employee, later a general manager, of a shipping company. Shintarō grew up in Zushi...
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
in Beijing. The Award was jointly sponsored by Phoenix Television
Phoenix Television
Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd or Phoenix Television is a Hong Kong-based Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese television broadcaster that serves the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong along with other markets with substantial Chinese viewers...
, Baidu
Baidu
Baidu, Inc. , simply known as Baidu and incorporated on January 18, 2000, is a Chinese web services company headquartered in the Baidu Campus in Haidian District, Beijing, People's Republic of China....
, and Beijing Youth Daily and recognised the achievements of the "most influential Chinese in 2006".
In 2007, So received a Doctor of the University
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
from Victoria University
Victoria University, Australia
Victoria University is a multi-sector tertiary institution based in Melbourne, Australia with 10 campuses.VU offers qualifications in higher education, vocational education , and short courses...
, in recognition of his services to local government.
In 2010, So was appointed as one of the 6 panel Members of the Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
World City Prize Council.
So is also a Member of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change.