Transcript of Mr Xu Lin's standup briefing before civil service seminar on 11th FYP
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Following is the transcript of a standup briefing by the Deputy Director General of the Department of Development and Planning, National Development and Reform Commission, Mr Xu Lin, before attending a civil service seminar on the 11th National Five-year Plan (FYP) jointly organised by the Constitutional Affairs Bureau and the Civil Service Training and Development Institute this morning (March 28) (English portion):
Mr Xu: I am very happy to be here to make necessary explanations on the new Five-year Plan. As a very comprehensive public policy, I think it is very difficult for the ordinary public to understand what is behind the policy measures in the directions mentioned in the Five-year Plan. That's why I come here to communicate with people in Hong Kong from different fields. This is a very good opportunity for people from the Central Government to communicate with the public and the Hong Kong administration here. I treasure this opportunity and it is my honour for being first time to be here to do such an honoured work.
Reporter: You earlier mentioned that you had checked the Basic Law to see what the Mainland's role could be in organising this sort of seminar. Are you a little bit concerned about whether this sort of seminars could be controversial in some ways that things could be done which would contravene the Basic Law?
Mr Xu: I don't think the seminar may cause controversies under the Basic Law because seminar is a way of communication. It can communicate to enrich the understandings between Hong Kong and the Mainland, especially the Hong Kong administration and the Central Government. The Basic Law did not define any activities, in such a way that communications cannot be held in Hong Kong and in the Mainland.
Reporter: Can you elaborate why you checked the Basic Law just to make sure for what...
Mr Xu: I have to check when formulating the Five-year Plan, how to frame issues regarding the development of Hong Kong. That is necessary because before formulation, I actually got a proposal from one of the representatives from Hong Kong in the National People's Congress. He mentioned that Hong Kong's development should be included in the Five-year Plan, so I had to respond to that.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, March 28, 2006
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