Premier Zhu Rongji yesterday rejected claims that he was worried about indecision in the Tung administration, saying: 'I do not mean to criticise the SAR Government.'
Mr Zhu, arriving in Brussels during his European tour, said he accepted that different people might have made different interpretations of what he had said during his trip.
On Tuesday in Ireland, Mr Zhu said that SAR people should unite and seek solutions to the territory's problems, adding: 'We cannot always discuss without decisions, make decisions without execution. Once a decision is made, everyone should make full efforts and move forward.'
Before the Premier spoke, senior SAR government officials had tried to put a positive spin on his comments.
Information Co-ordinator Stephen Lam Sui-lung said Mr Zhu had urged people to unite and face challenges positively.
'The Government takes overall consideration and prudence in the formulation of policies. When we need to be decisive, we will act decisively,' he said.
He cited the Government's decision to intervene in the stock market in 1998 and this week's decision to freeze sales of subsidised flats.