Wen meets HK Chief Executive, pledges all-out support

BEIJING—Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday met with Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Chief Executive Donald Tsang and pledged “all-out support” for Tsang and his government.
The central government will continue to unswervingly uphold the principles of “one country, two systems” and the Basic Law of the HKSAR, and “give all-out support” for the HKSAR Chief Executive and the HKSAR government in governance according to law, Wen said.
After hearing a report by Tsang on his work, Wen spoke highly of the achievements of the third-term HKSAR government that was installed on July 1, 2007, and called on the HKSAR government and the whole of Hong Kong society to continue their development. Donald Tsang Yam-kuen was formally reappointed Hong Kong chief executive in April this year, and his new five-year term started on July 1, 2007.
The Hong Kong SAR Government was officially founded on July 1, 1997 when Hong Kong returned to the motherland.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) legislative councilors endorsed here Friday the motion of thanks for the Chief Executive’s 2007-08 policy address, with amendments calling for the HKSAR government to do more for the elderly and the poor.
The vote came at the end of a 35-hour debate. It was the first time that a motion of thanks had been passed for six years. The HKSAR government issued a statement on the Legislative Council (LegCo)’s Motion of Thanks on the Policy Address.
“The Special Administrative Region government will implement the policy measures introduced in the Policy Address in a pragmatic way and will strive to realize the three overall goals under the ‘Progressive Development’ concept,” the statement said.
“The HKSAR government will insist on promoting economic development as its primary objective; insist that our development be sustainable, balanced and diversified; and insist that development brings about social harmony, with different strata of people sharing the fruits,” it added.
The statement said the Chief Executive has outlined a list of comprehensive measures tailored to strengthen the care for the elderly in areas such as medical, health care and housing.
It stressed that the SAR government has taken note of the suggestions made by members of the Legislative Council during the debate on the Motion of Thanks and will continue to consider various appropriate measures to render more assistance to the elderly in need.—Xinhua