CHINA / Taiwan, HK, Macao |
Hong Kong chief executive updates Belgian, EU leaders on HK's development(Xinhua)Updated: 2006-11-09 10:50 Donald Tsang, chief executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of China, on Wednesday updated Belgian and European political leaders on Hong Kong's development and the implementation of "One Country, Two Systems" since 1997. In a full day of political calls, Tsang held talks with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, Belgian Finance Minister Didier Reynders, Speaker of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Herman De Croo, President of the Belgian Senate Anne-Marie Lizin, European Parliament (EP) President Josep Borrell Fontelles and EP's Chairman of the Delegation for Relations with the People's Republic of China Dirk Streckx. During those meetings, Tsang stressed that Hong Kong had retained its fundamental strengths and freedom under the principle of "One Country, Two Systems", said a press release issued by the HKSAR government. Tsang said it was important for HKSAR and for the whole China to undergo the unique experimental work and to explain to the world how it was working in practice. Hong Kong should devise a durable system that suits its own circumstances rather than graft a political system from elsewhere, he said. Hong Kong is facing very good short-to-medium-term prospects with solid growth of gross domestic product, declining unemployment, strong investment flows and good stock market performance, he noted. Tsang also witnessed the signing of an agreement between Hong Kong and Belgium on the transfer of sentenced persons, which added the number of cooperation agreements signed between the two sides to nine. Tsang was also delighted to learn that Hong Kong's former Director of Health Margaret Chan had been nominated for the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), calling it a great honor for China and its HKSAR. Tsang is scheduled to leave for Paris on Thursday. |
|