New Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang (
Speaking a day after his return from Beijing where he was sworn in Friday as chief executive, Tsang gave a rousing speech and expounded on his belief that Hong Kong was on the road to better fortunes.
In reference to the city's current economic revival, Tsang, 60, said: "Shakespeare once said `There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.'"
"I believe that there is such a tide now, running strongly in Hong Kong's favor. I believe that the people of Hong Kong are ready to march on to greatness," Tsang said.
He said: "As New York is to North America and London is to Europe, we must firmly anchor Hong Kong's position as the premier business and financial hub of the Asia-Pacific region.
"These are no easy tasks, but we will not shirk them. My strength, inspiration, and faith in our ability to rise to challenges came from the `can do' spirit of the people of Hong Kong," he said.
Tsang, nominated unopposed by an 800-member, pro-China election committee, said he would "move at full steam" to deliver on the promises of his election campaign.
"My action plan for the next two years will focus on better governance, greater social harmony and stronger economic performance," he said.
Tsang said he had already submitted his nomination for the post of Chief Secretary for Administration, his deputy -- widely expected to be former financial services secretary Rafael Hui (許仕仁) -- to Beijing.
However, he refused to confirm that he had nominated Hui, saying only that he expected his deputy to be patriotic and capable of handling the pressure of the job.
Tsang said he would immediately begin restructuring the government and its team of advisers, seeking to "capture the insight and wisdom of the community as a whole for the betterment of Hong Kong."
He added: "I will meet with legislators from different political groups and independents as soon as possible to listen to their views and suggestions about my future policy blueprint."
Tsang, who will serve until 2007, replaces Tung Chee-hwa (
Tung stepped down two years early in March, citing ill health, but is widely believed to have been edged out of his job by China's leaders, who were exasperated at his bumbling governance.
Although loyal to Beijing, Tung was hugely unpopular and his last years in office saw massive anti-government and pro-democracy marches in the streets of Hong Kong in 2003 and again last year.
China hopes that Tsang, a popular figure considered moderate by Hong Kong people, will defuse social tension and refocus minds on the city's resurgent economy.
‘CROSSING THE LINE’: China’s embassy in Seoul criticized US Forces Korea Commander General Xavier Brunson, asking if his ‘hostile’ remarks were authorized by Washington South Korea and the US are in talks over recent public remarks by the commander of US Forces Korea, Seoul’s presidential office said yesterday, after the comments drew sharp criticism from China. In a recent podcast interview, US Forces Korea Commander General Xavier Brunson described South Korea as “the dagger in the heart of Asia” from China’s east coast, prompting the Chinese embassy in Seoul to say that he had “truly crossed the line.” The interview came amid growing speculation that Washington might seek to expand the role of US Forces Korea in countering the growing regional influence of China, a key
SEEKING ORDER: Rodrigo Paz said that ‘anyone who wants to destroy the nation will have to deal with this president and the full force of the constitution’ Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on Wednesday said that the nation was at a “breaking point” after nearly a month of protests that have caused shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Paz, who took office six months ago amid the worst economic crisis there in four decades, is battling a groundswell of fury over his policies. The political capital, La Paz, has been besieged by low-income workers and members of the indigenous majority calling for his resignation. “The country needs order and is reaching breaking point,” the 58-year-old said at a public event in La Paz, renewing his appeal for dialogue. On Tuesday, the Bolivian
Australian researchers have trained lab-grown brain cells on a silicon computer chip to play the 1990s shooter game Doom and said they are just scratching the surface of what the neurons could be capable of doing. It is the science-fiction work of biotech boffins at Cortical Labs, who researched and developed the technology that harnesses the workings of the brain’s networking system. Each so-called “biological computer” contains about 200,000 living human brain cells, grown from stem cells that were harvested from blood donations. Having mastered the simple computer game Pong, where a paddle is moved up and down to send a ball
Through the noise of rushing papers and whirring belts at a print factory in Kyoto, two creators watch their photo essay come to life in broadsheet form — part of an effort to win new audiences in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Despite the decline of the publishing industry, self-publication and handmade “zine” magazines are growing in popularity in Japan, reflecting the nation’s enduring love of paper in the digital era. While speaking to Agence France-Presse at the plant, his hands black with ink, one of the creators, Kazuma Obara, said: “I think [paper] is a medium that engages all five
RSS