Following are the remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa and Hong Kong Commissioner USA, Kenneth Pang at the official opening of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington on September 9, US time:

Mr PANG: May I have your attention, please. This is the Hong Kong Commissioner, Kenneth Pang speaking. The grand opening ceremony will take place on the first floor of this building momentarily. Chief Executive Tung, Ambassador Lee, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the Honorable Tung Chee Hwa, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China on his first visit to the United States. I am indeed honored to have the Chief Executive to officiate at the grand opening of the new premises for the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington, D.C. May I invite Chief Executive Tung to say a few words before unveiling the plaque for the new office. Mr Tung.

MR TUNG: Kenneth, Ambassador Lee, friends, ladies and gentlemen, I am very happy to be standing here marking the occasion of the official opening of this wonderful building. This building really is not just any other building. This is not any new building. This is a new building for the Hong Kong Trade and Economic Office, and the fact is that this building represents, among many things the most important thing, the new era for Hong Kong. July 1, 1997 is a new era for Hong Kong, where we become part of China, where we become masters of our own destiny, and this building symbolizes the beginning of this new era. I just had an opportunity to walk around this building and see the art work, see the coloring, and really this building represents the creativity, the modernity, and also the vitality of Hong Kong, and we are indeed very proud, Kenneth, that there is such beauty in

Hong Kong, that there is such beauty in Washington, representing us in Hong Kong. Going forward into the 21st Century Asia is going to play an important role.

Asia's economy will be as big as that of NAFTA and the European Union. China's economy, as we move into the 21st Century, will be one of the largest in the world, and obviously Hong Kong plays a very important role in terms of all these economic activities.

I trust and I believe America will use Hong Kong as their base for all their operations in Asia, and this Hong Kong office of ours will be here to serve all our friends, to make sure that all the things that need to be done are done, that we will be here facilitating all our friends coming to work in Asia, in Hong Kong, and within China.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a very auspicious beginning, and I would like you to all join me in wishing this wonderful building the opening occasion a very, very happy one, and I hope that many of you will have time to come back to see it again and again. Hong Kong is a small place, but we do have many friends in Washington, and this building I am sure will increase the circle of friends we have in Hong Kong, so come back to see us in this particular building. Thank you very much.

MR TUNG: I'd like to declare the Hong Kong

Economic Trade Office Building officially open on

9 September, 1997.

Stand-up interview with reporters in front of HKETO:

QUESTION: There is increasing pressure over democratic changes. Do you see this as a major embarrassment?

MR TUNG: No, no, not at all. I am having very useful discussions in Washington, but there are some views that are similar, there are some views that are different.

Obviously that is the case, and to the extent that there are opportunities to talk to each other, mix with each other and better our position is always very, very

helpful, and at the end of the day, of course, it is all

about Hong Kong, and we, like many of you who live in Hong

Kong, we care very much about Hong Kong. We want Hong

Kong to do well in the future, and we in Hong Kong must

take the decision as to what needs to be done in Hong

Kong, what is in the long-term interest of Hong Kong.

QUESTION: Mr Tung, in layman's language rather

than diplomat's language, how would you characterize what

you have heard so far from people and what you expect from

Mr. Helms tomorrow?

MR TUNG: I think it's going to be very interesting and very good discussion opportunity for us to understand each other more, and that's always very helpful. I'm not trying to be diplomatic.

QUESTION: But what about the resolution. It's a very strongly worded resolution.

MR TUNG: Sorry -- there are some questions --

(Chinese spoken.)

QUESTION: Do you think that the resolution that

Senator Helms introduced yesterday is --

MR TUNG: Thank you.

* Photo: The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa with Chinese Ambassador to the US, Mr Li Daoyu at the official opening of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Washington D.C. on Tuesday (September 9, US time). At front right is Hong Kong Commissioner USA, Mr Kenneth Pang Tsan-wing.