bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Senior Beijing leader Li Ruihuan yesterday called on Hong Kong people to put aside differences and unite to build a better SAR.

Mr Li, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, also threw his support behind Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, saying Mr Tung was a capable leader.

Citing a fable about 'the bauhinia tree', he called for social unity or else the SAR would 'wither'.

In a meeting with 150 business, political and community leaders, Mr Li called for solidarity with the Tung administration, praising Mr Tung for successfully pulling Hong Kong out of the Asian economic turmoil.

'If it was me who took up the task of running [the SAR], I am afraid I would not [have had such achievements],' he said.

'One country, two systems' was unprecedented and the SAR's post of the chief executive was unique, Mr Li said. 'Even though we have been in politics for a long time, we do not know how to govern Hong Kong,' he said.

Mr Tung recently won approval from President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and Vice-Premier Qian Qichen when they were asked if they supported him serving a second term.

Mr Li is visiting Hong Kong amid speculation Beijing is working to enable Mr Tung to seek re-election in 2002, despite his low popularity ratings. On his arrival on Sunday, Mr Li urged senior SAR officials to administer Hong Kong better than its former British rulers.

In Mr Li's 30-minute speech, he also called for 'tolerance, understanding, and patience'. He told a fable about a 'bauhinia tree' set in the Han Dynasty.

When three brothers separated after a quarrel, a bauhinia tree they had grown withered overnight. The brothers were so surprised and touched that they decided to get together again and got along well with each other. The following day, the bauhinia tree bloomed again.

Mr Li said: 'I believe [Hong Kong people] should unite together if they want to have a stable environment. Without unity or stability, the community could not develop further. I hope everybody can be more considerate and think more about the overall situation. With more mutual respect, sympathy, tolerance, and unity, Hong Kong will be much more stable and prosperous.'

He also said many of Hong Kong's problems were rooted in the former colonial government, but had been left for the SAR Government to resolve.

In 1996, at a meeting with local CPPCC delegates, Mr Li compared Hong Kong to an antique teapot, noting it was the stains that made it priceless. His remarks were seen at the time as making a veiled reference to ill-considered attempts to remove Hong Kong's so-called colonial trappings.

Yesterday, Mr Li said the teapot analogy was meant to emphasise the fact that managing Hong Kong was no easy task.

'Under Hong Kong's market economy . . . it is unavoidable that sometimes you lose money while I gain,' said Mr Li. 'While supporting the country and Hong Kong's development, your businesses could also develop too.'

His remarks came amid speculation that some Hong Kong tycoons were unhappy with the Chief Executive.

Mr Li is in the SAR on a five-day visit. It is also his first visit to Hong Kong since the handover. He is scheduled to visit the Stock Exchange today.

Among the 150 guests at yesterday's meeting with Mr Li were pro-Beijing politicians and influential tycoons, including Li Ka-shing, Peter Woo Kwong-ching and Walter Kwok Ping-sheung.

Chow Yick-hay, in his capacity as chairman of Kwai Tsing district council, was the only member of the Democratic Party invited to the function.



Top Beijing official urges 'tolerance, understanding and patience', plus an end to differences