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The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, concluded his annual duty visit to Beijing with a meeting with President Jiang Zemin at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse this (Saturday) morning.

During the three-day visit, Mr Tung also called on Premier Zhu Rongji and met with Vice Premier Qian Qichen.

Mr Tung said, "I am pleased to have the support of the CPG. The SAR Government and I will continue our efforts and, with the community's support, we shall overcome the present difficulties and achieve better results."

The Chief Executive briefed CPG leaders on the situation in Hong Kong since end of last year. He pointed out that the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" had been realised successfully in Hong Kong with the full support of the Motherland.

Since the Reunification, the SAR Government had taken part in a number of international forums - some 900 using the name "Hong Kong, China" and more than 60 as a member of the Chinese delegation. In addition, we had signed 21 international agreements and 23 others with delegated authority.

These agreements and forums ranged from trade, shipping, cultural to economic and other matters, reflecting the smooth implementation of "Hong Kong people running Hong Kong".

Mr Tung said the SAR Government and every citizen of Hong Kong should abide by the Basic Law. He said that Hong Kong still staunchly upheld the rule of law and practised a free market economy. Our citizens enjoyed all the freedoms and rights provided for in the Basic Law.

Mr Tung also mentioned the various economic challenges facing Hong Kong and the immediate, as well as medium and long term measures introduced. While aiming to relieve the people's burden in the short term, these measures also sought to lay a good foundation for realising our long term policy vision, he said.

The Chief Executive exchanged views with CPG leaders on the global financial situation and economic prospects.

CPG leaders briefed Mr Tung on the latest economic situation in the Mainland. He was pleased to learn that reforms in the Mainland had been moving ahead smoothly despite the Asian financial turmoil and massive floods.

He was encouraged by the stable economic development in China. "The forecast made by the World Bank that China would become the world's sixth largest economy by the end of this year will have a positive effect on Hong Kong's economy," he said.

Yesterday, the Chief Executive visited the Peking University and was impressed by both the students and the University's achievements in scientific researches. Mr Tung believed that exchanges between Hong Kong and Mainland educational institutes would help push ahead scientific researches in Hong Kong.

End/Saturday, October 17, 1998

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