The soldier son of the original comprador, Sir Robert Hotung, Ho Sai-lai has died at the age of 92.

Ho Sai-lai, also known as Robert or Robbie, was the third son of the comprador for Jardine's. Born in Guangdong province, Ho attended military academies in Britain and France, rising to the rank of general in the Chinese army under Chiang Kai-shek.

But his choice of a military career was said to have upset his mother, Lady Clara, although Sir Robert  respected his decision.

After the World War II, Ho represented the Kuomintang on various delegations to Japan and America and in the United Nations. He was also a national policy adviser to the president of Taiwan.

Ho returned to Hong Kong in 1962 to run a newspaper, the Kung Sheung Daily News, and was a Taiwan government adviser on strategies and commercial operations to boost trade between Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Kung Sheung Daily News closed in 1984, about two months after the signing of the Joint Declaration. The closure was thought of as a vote of no confidence in the future in Hong Kong by a pro-Taiwan newspaper.

Mr Ho had been trying to promote Buddhism and had contributed to the building of a school in Hong Kong and a university in China, which had been completed last month.

Ho lived at the family home, Hotung Garden, on Peak Road. At the beginning of the century, the Hotungs were the first Chinese to live on the Peak after being exempted from the Peak Reservation Ordinance which prevented non-Europeans from  residing there.

Ho died on Sunday at the Hong Kong Sanatorium. His funeral has been arranged for next Wednesday at 8.30am at the Hong Kong Funeral Parlour.