Premier Zhu Rongji Monday signed a decree to appoint Tung Chee Hwa as second Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Tung will begin his second term on July 1, 2002.
The appointment was made at today's executive meeting of the State Council, presided over by Premier Zhu Rongji.
Tung Chee Hwa was elected uncontested in the second Chief Executive election, with the support of over 90 percent of the Election Committee members.
Tung's nomination was approved by 714 of the 794-member Election Committee.
The chief executive of the HKSAR, elected by the Election Committee, serves a five-year term of office and is eligible to be re-elected once for a second term, according to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR.
All the electoral arrangements and procedures have complied with the Basic Law of the HKSAR, the Chief Executive Election Ordinance and other related statutory provisions, Zhu noted.
Premier Zhu said that under the Basic Law, the HKSAR government should report the election result to the central people's government before appointment.
He said the central government believed that Tung, in his second term of leadership, will lead the HKSAR government and its people towards overcoming current difficulties and will make greater achievements in promoting economic development and social progress.
Tung ran for election of the first Chief Executive of the HKSAR before the return of Hong Kong to China, and won an overwhelming majority of the votes.
The premier said that during the past four years, Tung has made great efforts in carrying out the principle of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law to the letter in Hong Kong.
Under his leadership, the HKSAR government has effectively dealt with issues concerning Asian financial crisis, the economic changes and development, exchanges and cooperation between Hong Kong and Chinese inland areas, and Hong Kong's stability and economic development.
Among those who were present at the executive meeting of the State Council were Vice-Premier Li Lanqing, Qian Qichen, Wu Bangguo and Wen Jiabao, and State Councilor Chi Haotian, Luo Gan, Wu Yi, Ismail Amat and Wang Zhongyu.
(People's Daily March 4, 2002)
