********************************************************
On the State Council's appointment of Mr Zhang Xiaoming as the Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (the Liaison Office) in place of Mr Peng Qinghua, the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, issued the following statement today (December 19):
Under the leadership of Mr Peng, the Liaison Office has actively co-operated with the HKSAR Government and supported its work in accordance with the Basic Law. The Liaison Office has spared no effort in building a closer relationship between the Mainland and Hong Kong and exploring co-operation opportunities for the two places.
On behalf of the HKSAR Government and the people of Hong Kong, I express my sincere thanks to Mr Peng for his significant contribution to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability. I wish Mr Peng every success in his new post. I also wish him good health and happiness.
The HKSAR Government and I would like to extend a warm welcome to Mr Zhang Xiaoming on his assumption of the new post. Mr Zhang has been engaged in Hong Kong and Macao affairs for a long time and is very familiar with the situation in Hong Kong. I believe that under the leadership of Mr Zhang, the Liaison Office can further promote exchanges and communication between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The Liaison Office will also continue to support the work of the HKSAR Government in accordance with the Basic Law and the "One Country, Two Systems" principle, to help maintain and contribute to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
Ends/Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Issued at HKT 10:22
NNNN