HK Chief Executive Sees "One Country, Two Systems" A Success Story

Tung Chee Hwa, chief executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), said in New York Wednesday that "One Country, Two Systems" works well in Hong Kong since China resumed the exercise of sovereignty over the region in 1997.

Tung, delivering his speech at a lunch at the New York-based Waldorf Astoria Hotel, said, "Anybody who has been to Hong Kong since the Handover can see that 'One Country, Two Systems' has

been transformed from a concept into an everyday reality."

"It is working well," he said. "We have been given maximum support from our national leaders. At the same time, it has been made clear time and again, that it is up to us in Hong Kong to chart our own course -- Hong Kong people running Hong Kong with high degree of autonomy as stipulated in the Basic Law."

Since the Handover, a lot has happened in Hong Kong, he said. "We have had to face not one, but two distinct challenges as a community. The first was political, and that was how to make a

success of the untested concept of 'One Country, Two Systems'. The second was economic, and that was how for Hong Kong to achieve a recovery from the longest recession in our history brought upon usby the Asian financial crisis."

"That these two challenges were with us almost simultaneously made our work much more difficult," he said. "Today, however, we can take pride in the fact that with the support of the entire community we have met these challenges head on and in the process emerged with renewed strengths."

"'One Country, Two Systems' is working well in Hong Kong," he said. "We are proud of what we have achieved in almost three years since Reunification. But it would not have been possible, really, without the support of Hong Kong people, the international community and the unwavering determination of the (Chinese) Central Government to make the 'One Country, Two Systems" a

reality."

Also on Wednesday afternoon, Zhang Hongxi, Chinese consular general in New York, extended a warm welcome to Tung, saying that he is the first HK Chief Executive to lead the Hong Kong people in the practice of the "One Country, Two Systems'."

This is the second visit to New York by Tung since Hong Kong's smooth hand-over in 1997. He is scheduled to visit Washington at the end of the stay in New York.



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