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Following is the opening address by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, at 1998 Fight Crime Conference today (Saturday):

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is my pleasure to join you at this Conference. For all of us who are concerned about crime fighting, this is indeed a much treasured opportunity to exchange views and share experiences.

With Hong Kong's reunification with China, this Conference differs markedly from the one held two years ago in that the present Conference is being held in a new era under the concept of "One country, two systems" and "Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong". To maintain our prosperity and stability, we must uphold the rule of law and strengthen the mechanism for safeguarding our public order.

Hong Kong is among those cities with the lowest crime rate in the world. In fact, the overall crime rate for 1997 was the lowest in the past 24 years. For the first ten months this year, though there was a slight increase of 0.4% in the overall crime rate, the figure was still on the low side. Our overall crime rate is at roughly the same level as that of Singapore and lower than those in Tokyo, London and other metropolitan cities in the United States and Canada.

To combat crime is a major task of the Government of the Special Administrative Region. We have a clean, highly professional and well-equipped police force that is committed to the maintenance of public order and continuous self-improvement. From time to time, amendments to existing legislation and enactment of new laws are effected to consolidate our law. The optimization of various resources also contributes to our continuously low crime rate.

Nevertheless, the support of the community is indispensable for the maintenance of public order and crime fighting. The work of the chairmen and members of District Fight Crime Committees are therefore all the more important. On behalf of my colleagues, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your valuable advice and what you have done in reflecting public concerns to the Government and fostering community participation in various fight crime campaigns in the past.

To combat crime more effectively, we will continue to upgrade the service of our police force through the introduction of advanced information technology, deployment of more front-line officers to newly developed areas as well as streamlining of crime reporting procedures and improvement to the environment of police stations to encourage members of the public to report crime. Besides, we will continue to give full support to the work of District Fight Crime Committees to enhance the awareness of the public of their responsibility in crime fighting. Years of concerted efforts in crime fighting have borne fruit. I hope that you will keep up with the good work and join hands in promoting a sense of responsibility in crime fighting in a new era.

The rule of law and good public order are the cornerstones of our success. I believe that collective wisdom, as reflected in today's discussion, will boost our confidence in crime fighting and make Hong Kong the safest city in the world.

Thank you.

End/Saturday, November 21, 1998

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Photo caption: The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, addressing the 1998 Fight Crime Conference at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this (Saturday) morning.