Chinese minister arrives in HK, backs economy
Chinese minister arrives in HK, backs economy
HONG KONG, China (Agencies): Foreign Minister Qian Qichen made
his first visit to Hong Kong yesterday since the July 1 handover
as the territory was embroiled in a scare over a bird flu and
mounting fears over the economy.
Qian, making a brief stopover on his return from a trip to
South Africa, reiterated China's support for the Hong Kong
economy as Asia roughs out major economic turbulence, government
sources said.
The sources denied the visit was linked to the bird flu that
has killed four people and brought unwanted international
attention to Hong Kong.
Qian noted fluctuations in the Hong Kong stock market since
the devaluation of the Thai baht last July. The main Hong Kong
stock index finished the year 19 percent down from its level on
Jan. 1, 1997.
Hong Kong's economic growth is forecast to drop to 4 percent
from an earlier estimated 5.4 percent.
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa met Qian at Hong Kong Airport
and hosted a luncheon for him at Government House, the former
residence of British governors in the territory.
Qian met members of Tung's cabinet, the Executive Council, and
high ranking officials. The luncheon was also attended by
representatives from local political groups, senior
businesspeople and community leaders.
Source said Qian was invited to come to Hong Kong when Tung
visited Beijing last month.
Imported poultry from China has been blamed for the outbreak
of Hong Kong's bird flu, but China has denied detecting any trace
of the virus in humans or its chickens.
It has agreed to halt poultry exports to Hong Kong while
several countries have banned chicken imports from China. Hong
Kong has just destroyed all 1.4 million chickens in the territory
in a bid to contain the disease.
Health officials in Hong Kong have also begun testing dogs and
cats in the territory for signs of the killer bird flu.
"The study is being extended to other animals," Health
Department spokesman Alex Li told Reuters yesterday.
Li gave no details of the testing or whether the animals under
study had been strays.
Professor Ken Shortridge of Hong Kong University, which is
performing the examinations, said tests on cats and dogs had
started "a number of days ago".
Tung and his inner cabinet held a special meeting to discuss
the health scare and he later admitted there had been
inadequacies in handling the mass killing of chickens.
The government has denied criticism that it was slow to react
to the spread of the virus.
Before arriving in Hong Kong, Qian officiated the opening of
China's first embassy in Pretoria, after Beijing sealed a major
diplomatic triumph with South Africa by persuading it to end ties
with Taiwan.
During a five-day visit to South Africa, Qian said the embassy
would be responsible for enhancing bilateral links.