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    The following is a transcript of remarks (English portion) by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, to the media in Boao, Hainan Province this (April 23) afternoon:

Reporter:  This meeting is very symbolic for being your first international overseas trip as the actual Chief Executive.  You have met quite a few leaders.  Did any of them express in these meetings support for you to continue in this role ...... ?

Acting Chief Executive: We have not gone to that specific question. Many of them are old friends, for instance, the Chancellor of Austria - and we have known each other for quite a while - the former Foreign Minister of Japan, Mr Ramos (former President of the Philippines) himself and many others I have known for years.  We had very friendly exchanges and talked about old times and future propects.  We haven¡¦t touched specifically my personal position in the coming election.  But everyone seemed to be very familiar with what is happening in Hong Kong.

Reporter: Did you discuss the recent anti-Japanese activities in China?

Acting Chief Executive: The emphasis of our chat revolved round the present arrangement whereby HKSAR passport holders can travel to Japan visa-free, the arrangement which she and I concluded last year, and that has been very instrumental to a lot more travellers going in either direction.  But I did mention to her there were a lot of emotions behind the memories of Second World War, in particular in the context of Sino-Japanese relationship which has heightened tensions recently.  And I told her thousands of Hong Kong people held the demonstration peacefully over the last weekend.

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

Ends/Saturday, April 23, 2005

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