Hong Kong leader set for inauguration
Monday, April 9, 2007
HONG KONG'S political leader Donald Tsang flew to Beijing yesterday to be officially inaugurated by China's top leaders for a second term as the southern city's chief executive.
Tsang will be handed the so-called "instrument of appointment" by China's President Hu Jintao, confirming his post after he won a re-selection vote last month.
The chief executive told reporters when he arrived at Beijing airport that he was moved by the prospect of serving for a second term.
"I am very grateful to the central government and Hong Kong people and members of the Election Committee in giving me this opportunity to serve Hong Kong for another five years," he said on local RTHK radio news.
The freewheeling capitalist city exists as a largely autonomous territory within the authoritarian Chinese state under a "one country, two systems" arrangement that allows it political freedoms not enjoyed anywhere else in China.
The territory's leaders are not elected by the people, but by a committee of 800 elites who are mostly loyal to the city's communist rulers in China.
Tsang was first appointed chief executive in 2005 when he took over the truncated second term of the wealthy southern Chinese territory's first post-colonial leader Tung Chee-hwa, who resigned early due to poor health.
He beat off pro-democracy challenger Alan Leong in the March vote in what was the first contested leadership race since 1997.
Although Tsang, a devout Catholic, was not elected by the people of Hong Kong, he retains huge public support following his 40-years as a civil servant, including stints as financial secretary and deputy leader. He will meet Chinese premier Wen Jiabao Monday morning at Beijing's Great Hall of the People and meet Hu and other national leaders later in the afternoon.
"I hope to exchange views with them on my (election) manifesto ... making sure we develop a further win-win situation for Hong Kong in the coming five years," Tsang said.AFP
Tsang will be handed the so-called "instrument of appointment" by China's President Hu Jintao, confirming his post after he won a re-selection vote last month.
The chief executive told reporters when he arrived at Beijing airport that he was moved by the prospect of serving for a second term.
"I am very grateful to the central government and Hong Kong people and members of the Election Committee in giving me this opportunity to serve Hong Kong for another five years," he said on local RTHK radio news.
The freewheeling capitalist city exists as a largely autonomous territory within the authoritarian Chinese state under a "one country, two systems" arrangement that allows it political freedoms not enjoyed anywhere else in China.
The territory's leaders are not elected by the people, but by a committee of 800 elites who are mostly loyal to the city's communist rulers in China.
Tsang was first appointed chief executive in 2005 when he took over the truncated second term of the wealthy southern Chinese territory's first post-colonial leader Tung Chee-hwa, who resigned early due to poor health.
He beat off pro-democracy challenger Alan Leong in the March vote in what was the first contested leadership race since 1997.
Although Tsang, a devout Catholic, was not elected by the people of Hong Kong, he retains huge public support following his 40-years as a civil servant, including stints as financial secretary and deputy leader. He will meet Chinese premier Wen Jiabao Monday morning at Beijing's Great Hall of the People and meet Hu and other national leaders later in the afternoon.
"I hope to exchange views with them on my (election) manifesto ... making sure we develop a further win-win situation for Hong Kong in the coming five years," Tsang said.AFP
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