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The following is issued on behalf of the Provisional Urban Council:

"The Historic Moment" which consists of two wax figures depicting the late former leader of the People's Republic of China, Mr Deng Xiaoping and former British Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher will be on display from tomorrow (July 1) until August 31 at the Hong Kong Museum of History.

The figures were produced to commemorate the First Anniversary of the Reunification of Hong Kong with China by Pang Liming and Ai Desheng of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, and donated to the Museum by Tianjin Dengta Tuliao Gufen Youxian Gongsi and Jinlian Jituan Youxian Gongsi.

Officiating at the donation ceremony today (Tuesday), the Chairman of the Provisional Urban Council's Museum Select Committee, Mr Mok Ying-fan said, "The senior leader of the People's Republic of China, Deng Xiaoping met with the British Prime Minister, Ms Margaret Thatcher, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing in September 1982. Deng counter-stated his intention to resume the exercise of China's sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997 by implementing the concept of 'one country, two systems' to maintain its prosperity and stability. This historic meeting had marked a prelude to the Sino-British diplomatic negotiations on the issue of Hong Kong."

Also on display at the Museum's Thematic Exhibition Gallery, will be two sculptures, the "Spirit of the Chinese Nation" from Liaoning Province and the "Smooth Sailing" from Guangdong Province, which were presented as gifts to the SAR government last year.

End/Tuesday, June 30, 1998

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