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.
A ship that appears to be taking on the identity of a scrapped gas carrier exited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, showing how strategies to get through the waterway are evolving as the Middle East war progresses. The vessel identifying as liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Jamal left the Strait on Friday morning, ship-tracking data show. However, the same tanker was also recorded as having beached at an Indian demolition yard in October last year, where it is being broken up, according to market participants and port agent’s reports. The ship claiming to be Jamal is likely a zombie vessel that
Cannabis-based medicines have shown little evidence of effectiveness for treating most mental health and substance-use disorders, according to a large review of past studies published in a major medical journal on Monday. Medical use of cannabinoids has been expanding, including in the US, Canada and Australia, where many patients report using cannabis products to manage conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and sleep problems. Researchers reviewed data from 54 randomized clinical trials conducted between 1980 and May last year involving 2,477 participants for their analysis published in The Lancet. The studies assessed cannabinoids as a primary treatment for mental disorders or substance-use
NATIONWIDE BLACKOUT: US President Donald Trump cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba, strangling the Caribbean island’s already antiquated grid Cuba’s national electric grid collapsed on Monday, the nation’s grid operator said, leaving about 10 million people without power amid a US-imposed oil blockade that has crippled the already obsolete generation system. Grid operator UNE on social media said that it is investigating the causes of the blackout, the latest in a series of widespread outages that last for hours or days and that this weekend sparked a rare violent protest in the communist-run nation. Officials ruled out a major power plant failure, but had still not pinpointed the root cause of the grid collapse, suggesting a problem with transmission. Officials said that
‘HEALTH ISSUE’: More than 250 women are hospitalized every day due to complications from unsafe abortions, and about three die, a study showed Jane had been bleeding heavily for days before finally seeking help, not from a hospital, but from the man who sold her the pills meant to end her six-week pregnancy. Abortions are strictly outlawed in the mainly Catholic Philippines, forcing women to turn to a patchwork of providers operating in the online shadows. While rare in practice, Philippine law allows for prison terms of up to six years for abortion patients and providers, leaving thousands of Filipinas to search for solutions in online forums where unlicensed sellers promote abortifacients. “It was very painful, as if my abdomen was being twisted,” said Jane, whose
RSS