Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong (
Zeng, who is in the former British colony on a three-day visit to preside over the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, said on Saturday he was aware that his "Hong Kong compatriots wanted (him) to listen", the official Xinhua news agency reported.
On his arrival in Hong Kong on Saturday, Zeng spoke with reporters in their native Cantonese dialect before heading into talks with the territory's leader Donald Tsang (
Zeng praised Tsang for fostering a more optimistic outlook in Hong Kong since taking over the top job two months ago, Xinhua reported.
He also said Hong Kong was enjoying greater stability, an improved economy and prosperity in all sectors during a meeting with Tsang on Saturday, the report said.
It said Zeng "hoped the Hong Kong government would continue to work hard, properly handle various issues of common concern, and further improve the prosperity and stability Hong Kong is now enjoying."
Zeng, who told reporters at the start of his visit Saturday "my heart is always with Hong Kong," continued to woo Hong Kongers yesterday, stopping at a home for the elderly and visiting a family of four in their home.
The leader also had breakfast with tycoon Li Ka-shing (
Zeng was to meet Hong Kong lawmakers, including the pro-democracy opposition, at a banquet in his honor yesterday evening, and officiate at the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland today.
Pro-democracy lawmakers have expressed disappointment that they had little opportunity to discuss moves toward democracy with Zeng.
ELECTION DISTRACTION? When attention shifted away from the fight against the militants to politics, losses and setbacks in the battlefield increased, an analyst said Recent clashes in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Jubaland region are alarming experts, exposing cracks in the country’s federal system and creating an opening for militant group al-Shabaab to gain ground. Following years of conflict, Somalia is a loose federation of five semi-autonomous member states — Puntland, Jubaland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West — that maintain often fractious relations with the central government in the capital, Mogadishu. However, ahead of elections next year, Somalia has sought to assert control over its member states, which security analysts said has created gaps for al-Shabaab infiltration. Last week, two Somalian soldiers were killed in clashes between pro-government forces and
Ten cheetah cubs held in captivity since birth and destined for international wildlife trade markets have been rescued in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia. They were all in stable condition despite all of them having been undernourished and limping due to being tied in captivity for months, said Laurie Marker, founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which is caring for the cubs. One eight-month-old cub was unable to walk after been tied up for six months, while a five-month-old was “very malnourished [a bag of bones], with sores all over her body and full of botfly maggots which are under the
BRUSHED OFF: An ambassador to Australia previously said that Beijing does not see a reason to apologize for its naval exercises and military maneuvers in international areas China set off alarm bells in New Zealand when it dispatched powerful warships on unprecedented missions in the South Pacific without explanation, military documents showed. Beijing has spent years expanding its reach in the southern Pacific Ocean, courting island nations with new hospitals, freshly paved roads and generous offers of climate aid. However, these diplomatic efforts have increasingly been accompanied by more overt displays of military power. Three Chinese warships sailed the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand in February, the first time such a task group had been sighted in those waters. “We have never seen vessels with this capability
‘NO INTEGRITY’: The chief judge expressed concern over how the sentence would be perceived given that military detention is believed to be easier than civilian prison A military court yesterday sentenced a New Zealand soldier to two years’ detention for attempting to spy for a foreign power. The soldier, whose name has been suppressed, admitted to attempted espionage, accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and knowingly possessing an objectionable publication. He was ordered into military detention at Burnham Military Camp near Christchurch and would be dismissed from the New Zealand Defence Force at the end of his sentence. His admission and its acceptance by the court marked the first spying conviction in New Zealand’s history. The soldier would be paid at half his previous rate until his dismissal
RSS