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The following is a transcript of the media session given by the Chief Executive, Mr. Tung Chee Hwa, after attending the opening ceremony of the May Fourth Movement Photographic Exhibition at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this (Friday) morning:-

Reporter: Would you ask the NPC Standing Committee to explain the Basic Law?

Mr Tung: Yesterday, or the day before yesterday, Mrs Ip, our Secretary for Security, revealed a set of figures as to the number of people might be coming as a result of the Court of Final Appeal's decision on January 29, and we are looking for further figures in terms of the burden that these people might have in the area of medicine, housing, hospitals and in the area of social welfare. How would these numbers impact the unemployment? And I think these figures need to be reviewed, and we would do so some time next week. And after we have had a chance to look at the figures, we would then decide how to go ahead. But I would promise you one thing: we would do it decisively. It is important we do it decisively. We would do it on the basis, of course, in accordance with the rule of law here in Hong Kong, and on the basis that whatever we do is in the long-term interests of Hong Kong as a whole.

Transcript of Chief Executive's media session (Chinese Part)

End/Friday, April 30, 1999

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