When Hong Kong was officially removed from the World Health Organization list of SARS-infected areas Monday, Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa said Hong Kong is now set to muster all strength in the society so as to revitalize the economy.
"In the short term, measures will soon be announced by the financial secretary in a while to attract people from overseas and the mainland to come to visit Hong Kong for sight-seeing and for business," he said.
In the medium to longer term, Tung said, the signing of Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the Chinese mainlandand Hong Kong will strengthen Hong Kong's cooperation with the other places in Pearl River Delta.
"Such, and all that we're doing, will give new impetus to the recovery of the economy here, aiding in Hong Kong's successful economic restructuring and bring about new opportunities," he said.
On the occasion when Hong Kong was officially removed from the list of SARS-infected areas, Tung remembered the SARS victims, medical staff who have sacrificed their lives in the battle against the disease.
Tung visited Amoy Gardens, the site of the earlier outbreak of the disease in Kowloon Bay in Kowloon, at the time when the World Health Organization (WHO) announced decision Monday that Hong Kong has been officially removed from the SARS-infected area list.
"Every time when I think about those who have died because of SARS, or those who have sacrificed their lives, I am saddened. In particular, the residents of Amoy Gardens, these people have borne the greatest brunt of the disaster.
"So I've decided that I will visit Amoy Gardens here, when Hong Kong is removed from the list of infected areas to mourn those who have died and those who have sacrificed their lives," he said.
Tung said Hong Kong's victory today against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) owes much to the efforts of the Hong Kong people themselves, the selfless and professional contributions of the medical and nursing staff in Hong Kong and their sacrificial spirit.
Despite that, Tung warned that due to the rebounds of SARS as observed in other infected areas, the public should stay vigilant and be fully alert, adding that the government will also sum up the experience accumulated from the clinical practices in the pastthree months, learn the lessons and prepare for any rebound of thedisease and respond best to it.
(Xinhua News Agency June 24, 2003)
