Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, or China's top legislature, arrived at the Hong Kong International Airport Saturday noon to start his visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

 

 

At the invitation of HKSAR Chief Executive Donald Tsang, Wu is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom World 2006 hosted by Hong Kong Sunday night.

 

Upon his arrival, Wu was greeted by Chief Executive Donald Tsang and HKSAR principal officials at the airport.

 

Wu visited Hong Kong in 2000 as Vice Premier.

 

After shaking hands with greeting people at the airport, Wu walked through the crowd to the press, expressing his greetings to some 100 reporters covering his arrival. He also asked the reporters to convey his wishes for Hong Kong people.

 

 

"When I visited Hong Kong six years ago, it was still under the impact of the Asian financial crisis," Wu told reporters.

 

Wu said, "Things in Hong Kong are now different thanks to the concerted efforts by the HKSAR government and all walks of Hong Kong society, Hong Kong now enjoys social stability, the economy is growing and the people's livelihood has improved."

 

"I will take this chance to personally experience the new changes in Hong Kong," he said.

 

Wu was accompanied by Liao Hui, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Wu Jichuan, vice chairman of the Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee of the NPC, Lu Ruihua, vice chairman of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee ofthe NPC, Qiao Xiaoyang, deputy secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee and chairman of the NPC Commission for the Basic Law of the HKSAR, Wang Xudong, Minister of Information Industry, Gao Siren, head of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Hong Kong, Yang Jiechi, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sun Wei, deputy secretary-general of the NPC Standing Committee and other senior officials.

 

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 2, 2006)