Speech by Director of Beijing Office at Reception

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

The following is the speech by the Director of the Beijing Office, Mr Bowen Leung, at the Reception to Celebrate the Establishment of the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing today (Thursday):

Vice-Premier Qian,

Mr Tung,

Honoured Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you, on behalf of all the staff of the Beijing Office. After a whole year of busy preparations, the Beijing Office is now officially open! We are greatly honoured to have Vice-Premier Qian Qichen to officiate at this function. We are also very glad to have the Chief Executive of the HKSAR, Mr Tung Chee Hwa with us. It is indeed our honour to have all of you here participating in the celebrations. Your presence is action enough to show support to our Office. I must take this chance to thank you all on behalf of the SAR Government.

During the past year, the civil servants involved have worked very hard to prepare for the setting up of the Beijing Office. But the process would not have been so smooth, had we not received the wonderful assistance and generous support of the Central Government. I would like to use this opportunity to express our heart-felt gratitude to all the Mainland authorities concerned, especially the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office. During the past few months, the officials of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office have made an all-out effort to help us complete all procedures required for the commencement of operations of our Office. I would also like to thank the Security and Customs authorities in particular for making arrangements for us to facilitate our work here. I sincerely look forward to the continuous support of you all.

Now let me make good use of this occasion to briefly introduce to you the functions of the Beijing Office, which can be summed up in three simple words - "One, Two, Three".

"One" is "One Mission". Our number one mission is to build an important bridge linking up the HKSAR with the Central People's Government and municipal authorities, with an objective to promoting communication and increasing exchanges of information in various areas. As the HKSAR is an inalienable part of the PRC, there is a genuine need for us to strengthen liaison and deepen mutual understanding. The setting up of the Beijing Office is a milestone in this direction.

"Two" means "Two-way flow". One of the major tasks of the Beijing Office is to provide accurate and updated information about the HKSAR to the CPG and municipal administrations, so that the Mainland would be well briefed on the latest developments in Hong Kong, especially the progress of implementation of the principles of "One Country, Two Systems", "Hong Kong People Ruling Hong Kong" and "High Degree of Autonomy". On the other hand, we will keep the bureaux and departments of the SARG well informed of the developments in the Mainland, such as changes in policies and regulations. This kind of information will be valuable reference for the SARG. Moreover, we will assist in establishing constructive dialogues between Hong Kong and the Mainland on issues of common interest.

"Three" is "Three Focuses". These three focuses of work are reflected at the organisation set up of our Office. We have three sections: First, the Economic Affairs, Trade and Liaison Section. This section is responsible for the communication and liaison work between the Mainland and Hong Kong, with one of the emphases on trade and economic affairs. Second, the Immigration Section. It mainly deals with immigration arrangements concerning the SAR, e.g. processing visa applications for entry to Hong Kong from citizens of other countries who are in the Mainland. Third, the Information and Office Administration Section. It is tasked to collect and transmit relevant information, handle media matters, publicize Hong Kong and manage the Office.

To further introduce Hong Kong to the Mainland and to mark the opening of our Office, we have organised an exhibition titled "Advancing into the New Millennium" at the Henderson Centre Shopping Arcade. This event has been opened today and will last for two weeks. The Hong Kong Tourist Association is also mounting a photographic exhibition on Hong Kong at the New World Centre Shopping Mall. You are cordially invited to come to visit the exhibitions.

Though the Beijing Office of the HKSAR is open now, there are still many things we would have to work out in future. We must strive to build a sound foundation and keep our work under review. We count on you all for your generous support. We are grateful for what you have done for us and thank you in anticipation of your continuous assistance in future. I can assure you that each and every one of us in the Beijing Office will do our best to fulfill our mission and live up to your expectations.

Thank you.

End/Thursday, March 4, 1999

NNNN