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Following is the full text (English only) of the Presentation by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, at the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia held in Pusan, Korea today (November 12):

Mr President, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Thank you for once again giving me the opportunity to speak on Hong Kong's behalf in our bid to host the 2006 Games, in my capacity both as Chairman of Hong Kong's Bid Committee for the 2006 Asian Games and as Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Most of us here had the pleasure of attending the Sydney Olympics where Hong Kong participated for the first time in its own right as a Special Administrative Region of China. The extraordinary success of the Sydney Olympics was a spectacular reminder of the truth and nature of the Olympic Spirit. It has inspired us in Hong Kong to bring that same spirit, that same level of achievement and success, to life in Hong Kong in 2006. Like Sydney, we want to set new benchmarks for others to follow.

You have just seen our video. It shows how we are ready, willing and able to host those Games in Hong Kong. But I would like to take just a few more minutes of your time to tell you why we believe we should be granted the privilege of hosting Asia's premier sporting event.

I know you have had a long day. And I know that very shortly you will vote. So I will keep my remarks short, sharp and to the point. Hong Kong prides itself on its business-like approach to major undertakings such as this. And that is why our businessmen and women have rallied behind Hong Kong's bid, as has our community as a whole. And needless to say this bid is fully supported by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

To me, there are eight compelling reasons why Asia would be able to put its best forward by choosing Hong Kong. And these eight reasons are:

ONE: We already have in place, intend to provide, or will renovate to the highest standards the world-class sports facilities needed to host the Games. All these facilities - and they include a new stadium with a capacity of 70,000 - will be ready well before the Opening Ceremony in November 2006. Planning and preparations are already going ahead urgently on this new stadium to be built on the site of the old Kai Tak international airport in Kowloon.

TWO: Hong Kong is a city with a proven track record as a hub for international business, trade and finance. The business community is four-square behind our bid. We have no doubts that we can generate better revenues than those achieved in Bangkok and Pusan. As a result, we expect substantial benefits to flow to OCA and National Olympic Committees.

THREE: We will provide accommodation for athletes and officials in a purpose-built Athletes Village designed to meet all of the needs and requirements of athletes, their coaches and team officials. The Village will be conveniently located no more than 25 minutes from any venue.

FOUR: We will provide free transport within Hong Kong for all athletes and officials. We will ensure that the transport provided is of the highest standard and is geared towards meeting the many needs of athletes and officials.

FIVE: We will provide assistance with air travel so anyone who wants to participate in the Hong Kong Games is able to do so. We don't want anyone to miss out.

SIX: We propose holding the Games at the ideal time of year in Hong Kong - from late November to early December. The days are sunny, clear and mild. The nights are pleasantly cool and dry. Ideal conditions for any sporting competition.

SEVEN: Hong Kong already has one of the world's finest and most efficient public transport networks. It will provide cheap and convenient access to all venues. We have the world-class telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructure needed by the international media to effortlessly transmit their reports and live coverage of the Games to an audience of tens of millions. We are used to handling the demands and needs of large contingents of international media. More than 8,000 journalists and technicians visited Hong Kong for the historic Handover ceremonies in July 1997 and the World Bank/IMF meetings two months later.

EIGHT: Last but by no means least, Hong Kong is a safe, stable and open society which welcomes people of all nationalities and religion. We are the most popular tourist destination in Asia with a wide choice of hotel accommodation, tourist attractions and cuisine, everything to make sure that our Asian Games visitors feel at home. We will use the heart-warming example of the Sydney Olympics' volunteers to involve all sections of our community in promoting a friendly Games.

Ladies and gentlemen, I want to thank you so much for all the time, patience and attention you have devoted to assessing the efforts of all the bidding cities here today. You have gone out of your way to show us that the process has been open and fair. We have all been able to compete on our merits. The fact that the bidding for the 2006 Games has been so keenly contested is testimony to the stature and popularity that the Asian Games have achieved in recent years.

I can assure you that if you bestow on Hong Kong the honour of hosting the Games in 2006 Hong Kong will make it a resounding success. As host city, we will ensure that we do Hong Kong proud. But more importantly we will do Asia proud.

Thank you.

End/Sunday, November 12, 2000

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