Hong Kong’s Tung Has the Support of China

“Beijing Has a Problem: Its Man in Hong Kong” (Feb. 3) gives an impression that China’s Central People’s Government has lost faith in Hong Kong’s chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa. The impression is speculative and unfounded. China’s leaders have repeatedly pledged firm support for the Hong Kong government led by Tung.

Hong Kong has had to deal with a series of hard challenges in the last six years, from the Asian financial crisis to severe deflation, avian flu and SARS. The economy has recovered substantially since the middle of 2003, and the recovery is in no small way because of the government’s initiatives. We have also had a phenomenal growth in tourists from the mainland, and our pace of economic integration with the mainland has accelerated. We successfully maintained a stable currency regime by defending the Hong Kong dollar peg and through prudent regulation of the banking and financial markets. We are threatened by avian flu again but are protected by the various measures put in place after the outbreak in 1997.

Tung has not been cut out of the arrangements for the review of constitutional development. It was Tung who decided to set up the task force to examine the issues. This task force works for Tung directly and will report to him only.

W.K. Lam

Director

Chief Executive’s Office

Hong Kong Special

Administrative Region