英國友人埃里克.何東先生（His Excellency Ambassador Eric Hotung CBE，中文名為何鴻章）是已故香港最具影響的首富羅伯特.何東爵士的長孫、香港工商界鉅子和華社社團領導。
他一九二六年生於香港，孩提和青少年時代在上海渡過。一九四七年赴美， 一九五一年畢業於美國喬治城大學，曾在紐約股票交易所、通用汽車公司等任職。一九五六年和一九五七年，其祖父和父親相繼去世，他回到香港繼承家業，先從事進出口貿易，後經營房地產開發和金融證券，其產業從香港擴展到歐美，與國際上的金融界和證券交易所建立了廣泛聯繫。
何鴻章先生繼承家族傳統，熱心公眾和慈善事業。為此，於一九六五年創建“何鴻章信託基金會”，以發展香港及其他地區和國家的教育。由於廣泛參與和讚助國際社會活動，何先生被許多國家不同類型的社會團體，特別是文化教育領域的社團聘為理事和董事。其中，從八十年代起歷任美國喬治城大學和菲律賓國際問題研究中心董事、中美關係全國委員會和宋慶齡基金會等組織的理事。一九九九年，東帝汶人民經過多年浴血奮戰取得獨立後，何鴻章先生又慷慨解囊，不但捐巨資,還提供船隻協助載送難民回國，並在東帝汶成立何鴻章信託基金會。為了感謝他,東帝汶任命他為該國經濟和金融特別顧問，許多國家對他的慷慨之舉也給予嘉獎。
作為中國人民的老朋友，何鴻章先生非常關心中國的發展，熱心於中國的公益事業，慷慨贊助中國的文化和教育。自八十年代起至今捐款總額（不包括香港）已達數千萬人民幣。此外，他為促進中美兩國之間的了解和關係的改善也付出了大量的心血，做出了積極貢獻。鄧小平、江澤民、李鵬、朱容基、李瑞環、葉劍英、鄧穎超、楊尚昆等中國領導人都分別會見過他。
His Excellency Ambassador Eric Hotung C.B.E (The Patriot of British Empire), known as He Hongzhang by his Chinese name, is the eldest grandson of Sir. Robert Hotung - last of the Merchant Princes and a leader of the Chinese community.
Born in 1926 in Hong Kong, he spent his childhood and youth in Shanghai. He went to the United States in 1947 and graduated from the Georgetown University in 1951. He had worked in New York Stock Exchange, General Motors and other places. Following the passing away of his grandfather in 1956 and his father in 1957, he returned to Hong Kong to inherit his family's property. At first, he was engaged in import and export trade, and then he went in for real estate development, as well as securities. His business expanded gradually from Hong Kong to Europe and the United States, and in the meantime, he established contacts with financial circles and stock exchanges worldwide.
Carrying on the fine tradition of his family, H.E. Ambassador Hotung has always been enthusiastic in promoting public welfare and the cause of charity. For this, he founded the "Eric Hotung Trust Fund" in 1965 with the aim of developing education in Hong Kong, and other regions and countries. Owing to his wide participation in and warm support to international social activities, he was appointed by many counties as director or council and education. For instance, starting from 1980's he became members of the board of directors of the Georgetown University in the United States and the Research Centre of International Studies in the Philippines. He also serves as Council Member and Trustee of the American National Committee on U.S. - China Relations and the Song Qing Ling Foundation in China. In 1999, after the Timorese people won independence through years of fighting in bloody battles, H.E. Ambassador Hotung, was one of the first individual to come to the country's assistance by donating money, a ship to return refugees and establishing the Hotung Institute for Timor-Leste. He has been appointed by the Timor-Leste government as Ambassador at Large and Economics Advisor for Timor-Leste. Many countries have acknowledged his generosity.
As an old friend of the Chinese people, H.E. Ambassador Hotung is very concerned about China's development, warmheartedly supports her public welfare, and generously donates money to her cultural and educational cause. Since the 1980's his total donation to China(excluding Hong Kong)has reached tens of millions RMB, besides, he has also done much work and contributed positively to the understanding and improvement of relations between China and the United States. Chinese leaders like Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Ye Jianying, Deng Yingchao, Yang Shangkun have all met him personally.
來源:http://www.erichotung.com/
