Beijing gives final OK to Tsang term

China's State Council yesterday approved the selection of former Hong Kong civil service chief Donald Tsang (曾蔭權) as the territory's next chief executive.

The decision was announced simultaneously by the Xinhua news agency and China Central Television.

"According to a decree signed Tuesday by Premier Wen Jiabao (溫家寶), Tsang will assume office on June 21 and his term will expire by June 30, 2007," Xinhua said.

The popular bow-tie wearing career civil servant was selected to be the city's next leader last week after securing the backing of 674 members of Hong Kong's 800-strong election committee of mostly Beijing loyalists.

Wen voiced confidence that Tsang, 61, would prove a worthy successor to former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa (董建華), who unexpectedly resigned in March.

"After the return of Hong Kong to the mother country Tsang has made a great contribution to safeguard the one country, two systems [policy] and the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong," Wen said on China Central Television. "Being elected shows that he has gained large support from Hong Kong society."

"I believe that under the leadership of Donald Tsang, the Hong Kong government will overcome all kinds of difficulties and lead Hong Kong people to make great progress for the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong," Wen said.

The move paved the way for Tsang to fly to Beijing tomorrow to be officially inducted as leader by Wen on Friday, Hong Kong's interim leader Henry Tang (唐英年) said.

A government statement said Tsang would take an oath of allegiance on Friday and return the same day. He would be accompanied by principal members of his Cabinet as well as his wife, Salina.

He is the second leader of the former British colony since it reverted to Chinese rule in 1997.

Tsang, a top civil servant during British colonial rule who was knighted by London, has said he plans to improve governance and shake-up his Cabinet, but has declined to say whether any democrats would be included.

Although he enjoys much higher popularity ratings than his predecessor, analysts say he will inherit many of the huge challenges that Tung faced and left unresolved.

Foremost among them will be the way he handles the territory's popular pro-democracy movement, which has a powerful voice within the legislature.

But he will have to balance that against the demands of the pro-Beijing lobby, which dominates the halls of power in the territory.

He indicated last Friday that he has no intention of speeding up the territory's progress toward full democracy.