Chinese President Jiang Zemin on July 1 attended the celebrations for the fifth anniversary of HongKong's return and the inauguration of the second-term government of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
At 8:57 a.m., accompanied by Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa and his wife Betty Tung, and amid a burst of enthusiastic applause, Jiang and his wife Wang Yeping entered the Grand Hall of
Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. where the ceremony of China's resumption of exercise of sovereignty over
Hong Kong was held in 1997.
At 9:00 a.m., a 50-member white-uniformed
Hong Kong police band played the national anthem to kick off the celebrations.
Under the supervision of Jiang, Tung Chee Hwa was sworn in as his second term of the chief executive.
Tung said, "I, upon assuming the office of the Chief Executive of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, pledge to uphold the Basic Law of the HKSAR of the People's Republic of China (PRC), be loyal to the HKSAR of the PRC, fulfill my duties wholeheartedly, abide by laws, be clean and honest, serve the HKSAR, and be responsible for the PRC and the HKSAR."
Chinese President Jiang Zemin highlighted the supportive role of the motherland in keeping Hong Kong's prosperity and the implementation of the "one country, two systems" concept during the celebration.
He called joint efforts of the Central Government, the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government and
Hong Kong people to implement "one country, two systems."
He stressed that "one country, two systems" is a brand new cause, which must be implemented, along with the Basic Law of the
Hong Kong SAR, in a comprehensive and accurate manner under any circumstances.
Jiang urged full support be given to the Chief Executive and the SAR Government in their administration under the law and effective efforts be made to strengthen the broad-based unity of the
Hong Kong people under the banner of loving the country and loving
Hong Kong and to maintain a stable and harmonious society and a prosperous and growing economy in Hong Kong.
"As long as we persist in so doing, we will surely surmount all difficulties on the road to progress and the cause of 'one country,two systems' will surely achieve even greater successes," Jiang said.
Among those present were Vice-Premier Qian Qichen and his wife Zhou Hanqiong, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee Henry Ying Tung Fok, Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau Wah of the
Macao SAR, leaders of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong KongSAR, the Office of Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the
Hong Kong SAR, and the PLA
Hong Kong Garrison.
More than 2,000 guests also attended the celebrations.
