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.
IDENTITY: A sex extortion scandal involving Thai monks has deeply shaken public trust in the clergy, with 11 monks implicated in financial misconduct Reverence for the saffron-robed Buddhist monkhood is deeply woven into Thai society, but a sex extortion scandal has besmirched the clergy and left the devout questioning their faith. Thai police this week arrested a woman accused of bedding at least 11 monks in breach of their vows of celibacy, before blackmailing them with thousands of secretly taken photos of their trysts. The monks are said to have paid nearly US$12 million, funneled out of their monasteries, funded by donations from laypeople hoping to increase their merit and prospects for reincarnation. The scandal provoked outrage over hypocrisy in the monkhood, concern that their status
The United States Federal Communications Commission said on Wednesday it plans to adopt rules to bar companies from connecting undersea submarine communication cables to the US that include Chinese technology or equipment. “We have seen submarine cable infrastructure threatened in recent years by foreign adversaries, like China,” FCC Chair Brendan Carr said in a statement. “We are therefore taking action here to guard our submarine cables against foreign adversary ownership, and access as well as cyber and physical threats.” The United States has for years expressed concerns about China’s role in handling network traffic and the potential for espionage. The U.S. has
A disillusioned Japanese electorate feeling the economic pinch goes to the polls today, as a right-wing party promoting a “Japanese first” agenda gains popularity, with fears over foreigners becoming a major election issue. Birthed on YouTube during the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, the Sanseito Party has widened its appeal ahead of today’s upper house vote — railing against immigration and dragging rhetoric that was once confined to Japan’s political fringes into the mainstream. Polls show the party might only secure 10 to 15 of the 125 seats up for grabs, but it is
The US Department of Education on Tuesday said it opened a foreign funding investigation into the University of Michigan (UM) while alleging it found “inaccurate and incomplete disclosures” in a review of the university’s foreign reports, after two Chinese scientists linked to the school were separately charged with smuggling biological materials into the US. As part of the investigation, the department asked the university to share, within 30 days, tax records related to foreign funding, a list of foreign gifts, grants and contracts with any foreign source, and other documents, the department said in a statement and in a letter to
RSS