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Following is the transcript of remarks made by the Secretary for Security, Mrs Regina Ip, at the airport on arrival from Beijing this (July 24) evening:

Secretary for Security: As you know, I have served as Director of Immigration and then Secretary for Security altogether for seven years. During the past seven years, because of the nature of my work, I have worked closely with my colleagues on the Mainland and we have built up a very good working relationship. Now that I am leaving my post, the Central People's Government has asked me to visit Beijing again to bid farewell. I was very glad to have the opportunity to call on my old friends. So during the past day, I have visited a number of Chinese leaders, including the Procurator-General Mr Jia Chunwang, State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Mr Zhou Yongkang, and the Director of Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and Vice-Chairman of the CPPCC Mr Liao Hui. I am very grateful to them for their concern about me and my family and their support for my work. In the past week since the announcement of my resignation, I have received a lot of expressions of support and concern from members of the public, including a lot of flowers, letters, email and presents. I am really very grateful for the Hong Kong public for their kindness towards me and I wish all of them a very bright future. I'd like to take the opportunity also to thank members of the media for the enthusiastic way you have covered my work and myself in the past years and I wish you all the best both in your private life and in your work. Thank you very much.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)

End/Thursday, July 24, 2003

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