********************************************************
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at a media session in Beijing this evening (December 23):
Reporter: Do you think President Xi, by praising you with very sweet words, is implicitly endorsing your re-election bid? Also, in terms of the seating arrangement, it is obviously unprecedented for any Chief Executive to have to sit not side by side with the President but on one side of the conference table. How do you feel about that?
Chief Executive: On the question of President Xi's remark and also Premier Li's remark on my work and the work of my Government, which in Chinese was "¥R¤ÀªÖ©w", I thank the leaders for their appreciation, acknowledgement, of our work. And it's not just one person's work, it's the entire team - the entire team of political appointees, civil service and so on.
On the question of seating arrangement, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office has already responded to this question. I think this new seating arrangement applies to the two Special Administrative Regions, namely Hong Kong and Macau, reflects the constitutional relationship between Hong Kong and the Central Authorities.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:55
NNNN
MP4 format