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The following is a transcript (English portion) of the media session by the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, today (November 18, Busan time) after having a breakfast meeting with President Hu Jintao in Busan:
Reporter: Would you please give a statement in English?
Chief Executive: This morning I had breakfast with the President. Present at the breakfast meeting was State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing was there as well, and also Mrs Hu together with my wife. I related to the President the latest position of Hong Kong, the social situation, the economic situation and the political situation. I described to him the latest economic figures and I also told him the Report No 5 of the Constitutional Development Task Force and the community・s response to that report, and the latest claims and latest request of the democratic elements in the community. The President is quite au fait with Hong Kong matters, in fact, as he used the Hong Kong・s newspapers・ descriptions of Hong Kong・s situation. And I was encouraged by that a great deal in the sense that he understands the Hong Kong situation very well. He told me that he appreciated very well Hong Kong・s economic performance was excellent over the last few months and also described that the state of governance in Hong Kong had significantly improved. As regards political development, his emphasis was on the long-term stability and prosperity of Hong Kong. Within the context of the NPC Standing Committee・s decision and the Basic Law, we should continue to reach a consensus in Hong Kong but we must work things through steadily and rationally.
Reporter : Have you conveyed the request for universal suffrage to the President?
Chief Executive : Universal suffrage is a national policy. It is enshrined in the Basic Law and it also coincides with my personal wish. I think we should work towards it as steadily, as deliberately and as rationally as possible. This is what we are doing.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Friday, November 18, 2005
Issued at HKT 16:36
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