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THOSE who make promises should keep them: that was the advice from maverick leftist David Chu Yu-lin to one of Hong Kong's top political commentators.

  And that is why the Beijing adviser last week bought a one-way ticket out of the territory for ATV presenter Tsim Tak-lung, who has said he will leave the territory the day the Daya Bay nuclear plant becomes operational.

  Mr Tsim said he intended to keep his word, and would accept the ticket.

   ''The day Chinese Premier Li Peng goes to Daya Bay for the opening ceremony, I will ring him [Mr Chu] and tell him I am leaving,'' he said.

  ''I will probably go to United States or Europe to continue my writing.''   Mr Chu, a member of China's new body on Hong Kong affairs, the Preliminary Working Committee, said it would be ''no big deal'' if Mr Tsim left the territory.

  ''Hong Kong is a market economy with people coming and going. That is the reason for its success.''   The Beijing adviser said he had bought the $21,000 first-class ticket to New York for Mr Tsim to show that ''people should keep their word, especially people in the public eye''.

  ''He is an influential commentator, who has interviewed Governor Chris Patten and [former] Singapore premier Lee Kuan Yew; people watch him and listen to what he says.''   Mr Chu said he, too, had kept his promise.

  ''Mr Tsim has said repeatedly over the last three years, in front of reporters and legislators, that I don't agree with the fears expressed about Daya Bay, and said I would buy him a ticket when he left. So, I am just keeping my word.''   Meanwhile, Mr Tsim said Hong Kong people should ''watch the situation [in Hong Kong], and draw their own conclusions - regardless of what the Chinese and Hong Kong governments are saying - and act accordingly''.

  He reiterated his fears over safety at the Daya Bay plant, which is expected to come into operation early next year.

  ''It is especially dangerous for Third World nations to build nuclear plants,'' he said. ''I don't want to live near it.''   But Mr Chu countered: ''It has met all the international standards, and been supervised by International Atomic Energy Agency. China has proved its capability in high technology by sending up satellites.'' 



TV presenter gets one-way ticket to 'safety'