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The following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) by the the Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, at a media session today (April 21), in Boao, Hainan Province, on the eve of the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2006:
Chief Executive: Since my arrival yesterday, I have been preparing for today's meetings. I had two sets of meetings today - one with the Vice President Zeng and another meeting this afternoon with Director Liao of the Hong Kong and Macau Office
We reviewed the progress and developments in Hong Kong since our last meeting in Beijing, focusing in particular on economic performance over the last few months. It's been a very spectacular performance in terms of the stock market, in terms of tourism. With effect from the 1st of May, we're going to have included in the Individual Travel Scheme the provincial capitals of additional six provinces, bringing the total number of Mainland residents capable of coming to Hong Kong on an individual permit basis exceeding 200 million people. This will give further impetus to our tourism industry in Hong Kong.
I also explained to Director Liao and to Vice President Zeng that we should never be complacent, that we should leverage on our achievements and continue to work hard on widening our sphere of influence, our economic activities, particularly in increasing job opportunities in Hong Kong.
I told them that I would be visiting the provinces included in the Pan Pearl River Delta Co-operation and I hope it will then lead to further economic activities in Hong Kong.
Also, late in the morning, I met the President of Slovenia. We met at his request and I welcomed that meeting. He was very curious about the sustained economic performance in Hong Kong and particularly how well we had been doing in the past few years. And I told him of our work in the Pearl River Delta, our investment in the Mainland and our plan for the future. And I hope our meeting will profile Hong Kong properly in a new stage in the European Union and I hope that there will be further trade delegations coming to Hong Kong, thinking of investment in Hong Kong and investment through Hong Kong into the Mainland.
Reporter: First of all I'd like to know, with Hong Kong's role as middleman between trade to China, do you feel that the talks with President Hu Jintao and George Bush was perhaps a missed opportunity in the States. Also, what is your administration doing ...as far as the vegetable issue of safety in Guangdong raised by Greenpeace ...?
Chief Executive: The visit of the President to the United States is a very important one. And I think it is regarded not only as important by the Chinese people but by American people as well. But I am sure that President Bush, like President Hu, would seize the opportunity to further and deepen bilateral relations between the two nations and create a greater global, better environment in terms of politics and in terms of economic development. I think that would be an important point and I am sure there would be new opportunities created. There may be some areas in which you will not be able to get full satisfaction in certain sectors of the community, but I do certainly believe that the bilateral relationship will go forward as a result of this meeting.
As far as the co-operation - working with the Mainland - is concerned, in terms of food safety, it is progressing, it is a continuing process and we're getting better and better, in terms of co-ordination, sharing information, the reporting system and in particular, in dealing with special episodes that come up from time to time. And you have seen what we have dealt with, in terms of dealing with pigs, with chickens and particularly in the present climate of dealing with avian flu. And I am sure the co-operation will even grow better as we go on. This is an effective system, but we are not complacent.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion.)
Ends/Friday, April 21, 2006
Issued at HKT 20:42
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