The Government has outline plans for helping the future chief executive establish Hong Kong's post-handover government, Acting Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has revealed. But he warned of trouble if the territory was left with no chief secretary in the months leading up to the handover because Anson Chan Fang On-sang was needed to help the future head. In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Mr Tsang said: 'We have drawn up different options to help the chief executive and the new government. But we have to see what options the Chinese side has in mind and what the role of Anson Chan is going to be. 'The months starting from, say, March next year will be extremely important. There will be problems if someone who is not so strong takes the post of chief secretary.' A government source said Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Lu Ping had told Mrs Chan recently there was no urgency to discuss co-operation. It could wait until after the chief executive was appointed. The source said there would definitely be an office for the chief executive, but that it was impossible for all policy secretaries to be seconded to his team. Recent reports claimed Mrs Chan and a small team would quit the Government to serve the chief executive. The Governor has said the reports have 'no basis', but Mr Tsang said he was referring to claims that Mrs Chan had told Prime Minister John Major about the plan when in London this month. Mr Tsang did not specifically deny the arrangement. Mr Patten said yesterday there was no point talking about co-operation until the chief executive was named. 'We want to give maximum possible co-operation to the chief executive while ensuring the administration of Hong Kong is as effective as possible,' he said.
