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

Following is the transcript (English portion) of the media session given by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, after delivering a keynote speech at the "Hong Kong Perspective on Beijing +5 Conference" this (May 6) morning:

Chief Secretary : I've just announced this morning that it is the Government's intention within this year to establish a Women's Commission. The objective of establishing such a Commission is to ensure that the Government, with the co-operation of the voluntary agencies and the private sector, can deal more comprehensively with women's issues, and ensure that the services that we provide meet their needs. I am sure everybody agrees that women should enjoy equal status with men. We have both legislative and non-legislative means to achieve this. But I am sure that the Commission will be able to provide advice to the Government on how we can improve our existing services, how we can factor in at the outset when policies and programmes are being formulated women's perspectives. We look forward to co-operating with this Commission when it is established. At the moment we are considering the membership of the Commission, and we will make an announcement as soon as possible.

Chief Secretary: I want to say a few words about our bid for the Asian Games. As you know yesterday, we submitted our financial consultants' report, the expenditure and revenue figures in respect of this bid. We hope to submit this report to the Finance Committee of the Legislature next week and seek Finance Committee's approval in principle for Hong Kong to put in this bid. We've stressed all along that this is a long term investment in Hong Kong's future. There are both tangible and intangible benefits. The intangible benefits, of course, include the ability to enhance Hong Kong's international status. It will allow Hong Kong to showcase itself to Asia and the rest of the world. It will also promote interests in sports and in healthy living and will enable our own athletes to raise their standard. If we are successful in our bid, then, of course, we will go ahead and prepare a more comprehensive business plan with more accurate figures both on revenue and expenditure. So, at that time members of the Legislature will have a complete picture and they will have sufficient time to consider our bid and the application for funds. Of course, in the entire process, it will be our aim to control expenditure, to improve the sources of revenue, so that we can keep the deficit to a minimum. As the Chairman of the bid committee, of course, I will be prepared to do anything I can to assist Hong Kong to succeed in this bid, and I am sure that if the Legislature and all political parties are willing to support our bid, then it will improve our chance. Thank you.

Reporter: Is the Administration aware of new restrictions for foreign journalists travelling to the Mainland for personal reasons?

Chief Secretary: I am not personally aware of this, of course. I've read today's South China Morning Post.

Reporter: Are you ....?

Chief Secretary: I think first of all, I need to understand exactly what additional restrictions have been placed.

Reporter: Some political groups have charged that the Administration has underestimated the costs of the Asian Games at ....

Chief Secretary: In the report prepared by our financial consultants we've been very careful to ensure that we neither, as it were, adopt too pessimistic nor too optimistic an approach. The figures that we have produced so far are based on the best information available at present. But as I said earlier, if we are successful in our bid, then we will, of course, develop a detailed business plan with a more accurate set of figures both on revenue and expenditure. But it will be our aim in the entire process to control expenditure, to look at other sources of revenue so that we can keep the deficit to a minimum. But, I stress again we shouldn't look at this just simply in money terms. It is a long term investment in Hong Kong's future.

Chief Secretary for Administration's Transcript (Chinese Part)

End/Saturday, May 6, 2000

NNNN