Tung Bids Farewell to Administrative SecretaryChief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Tung Chee Hwa on Friday spoke highly of the dedication and commitment made by Anson Chan as administrative secretary of the SAR.Addressing a dinner in honor of the outgoing administrative secretary, Tung called Chan the "most distinguished public servant in the administration of the HKSAR" and thanked her for her dedication and support in the past four years. With Chan's wise counsel and advice, Hong Kong has pulled through some tempestuous and difficult times, such as the Asian financial crisis and the ensuing economic downturn, and is now set firmly on course to recovery, Tung said. With the support of the community and hard work on Chan's part and that of principal officials and ExCo members, "One Country, Two Systems" has been made an everyday reality in Hong Kong, Tung said. Tung also praised Chan for helping introduce very important reforms in the civil service and to review key policy areas such as education and the environment. Tung noted that Chan, for 39 years, has achieved many "firsts": the first woman head of department, the first woman secretary, the first woman and the first local officer to be appointed Chief Secretary and the first administrative secretary. Chan also played pivotal role in bringing to reality many infrastructure projects in Hong Kong, including the massive new airport and port development projects, Tung said. |
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