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Anson's Senkaku slip sparks storm

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Chief Secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang provoked surprise yesterday when she described the disputed archipelago as the Senkaku Islands - the term the Japanese use.

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When reporters at a Sydney press conference asked Mrs Chan about tension in the Diaoyus, she replied using the Japanese name.

Pro-Beijing legislators said they were shocked.

'I will demand an explanation from her in the upcoming session of the Legislative Council,' said Cheung Hon-chung.

Chan Yuen-han said: 'I think she has made a huge mistake . . . I deeply regret what she has said.' But administrative assistant Andrew Wong Ho-yuen, who is accompanying Mrs Chan on her Australian visit, said last night the Chief Secretary was not making a political point.

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'She used the Japanese term three times at the 30-minute press conference because she wanted to maintain consistency throughout her speech,' Mr Wong said.

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