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The following is the transcript of the English portion of a media session given by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, this (Tuesday) afternoon:

Reporter: Mrs Chan, what is realistically based on the report that you've heard today and presented to ExCo, realistically, how many people could be let in without straining Hong Kong's resources and upholding this judgment without causing a panic on both sides of the border?

Mrs Chan: As you know, we've already published the preliminary figures from the Census and Statistics Department. We have undertaken to carry out a more detailed assessment of the impact of this likely number on services in Hong Kong, on the community as a whole, on the economy and on unemployment, et cetera. We will be submitting a copy of this more detailed assessment report to the Legislative Council later this week. This is clearly a very, very complicated matter. We have not arrived at any conclusions. As you know, the community has been debating a number of possible options. I think each option has its pros and cons. We mustn't be rushed into a decision because clearly any decision that we make will have very, very far-reaching implications on the community as a whole, so we need to assess the implications very carefully before arriving at a conclusion. I am going to take advantage of my visit this afternoon to Beijing to reflect Hong Kong people's views but I am not bringing up with me any specific option for endorsement or comment by the Central Government authorities.

Transcript of the Chief Secretary for Administration (Chinese Version)

End/Tuesday, May 4, 1999

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