*******************************************

The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, will leave for Beijing tomorrow (Thursday) morning.

At 4 pm tomorrow, Mr Tung will host a cocktail reception in Xi Da Ting (the West Hall) of The Great Hall of the People to mark the official opening of the Beijing Office of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The Vice Premier, Mr Qian Qichen, will be the principal officiating guest at the opening ceremony.

At the invitation of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the Chief Executive will attend the opening ceremony of the second session of the Ninth National People's Congress on Friday (March 5).

Mr Tung will have other engagements and meetings with officials of the Central Government on Friday and Saturday before returning to Hong Kong on Saturday evening.

Accompanying Mr Tung on the visit will be the Information Coordinator, Mr Stephen Lam; the Private Secretary to the Chief Executive, Mr Joshua Law; and Special Assistant to the Chief Executive, Mr Chan Kin-ping. The Chief Executive will also be accompanied by Mrs Tung.

END/Wednesday, March 3, 1999

NNNN