Chinese President Hu Jintao (1st L) greets Hong Kong cyclist Wong Kam-po (1st R) in Hong Kong Elite Athletes training base on June 29, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)

    HONG KONG, June 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Hu Jintao viewed the Hong Kong Sports Institute and chatted with elite Hong Kong athletes who are training for the 2008 Beijing Olympics here on Friday afternoon.

    Hu arrived here earlier the day to attend celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the swearing-in ceremony of the third term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

    The president said while talking with the athletes that Hong Kong sports talents have made great achievements in competitions at the international level.

    He encouraged the athletes to perform well at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

    While talking with Wong Kam-po, a world bicycle champion, Hu praised him by saying, “You are a treasure more precious than gold.”

    The president watched performances of wheel-chair fencing and table tennis playing.

    Hu then talked with Li Ching and Ko Lai-chak, the duo of Olympic table tennis silver medalists.

    Hu also played table tennis with 13-year-old athlete Chiu Chung-hei and won applause of the crowd for his skills.

    The president wished Hong Kong athletes good results at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) chats with a Hong Kong family in a Hong Kong residential garden on June 29, 2007. (Xinhua Photo)

    HONG KONG, June 29 (Xinhua) — It’s an unforgettable day for 10-year-old Hong Kong boy Chiu Lam Ho, who is at the same age of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), as he played the piano for Chinese President Hu Jintao who visited his family in Ma On Shan on Friday.

    ”Grandpa Hu said I played very well,” the boy, who has won a bronze medal in a piano competition in Hong Kong, said with excitement.

    His father, 43-year-old Chiu Shek-on, who works for a trade company, said “President Hu greeted each member of my family and chatted with us. He is very easy to approach. We are very honored and very happy to have President Hu as our guest.”

    Chiu told the president that he bought the second-hand apartment in Kam Fung Court, Ma On Shan, three years ago on mortgage. Now he pays some 7,000 HK dollars (about 897 U.S. dollars) to bank every month.

    Chiu’s wife Lam Lai Hung said her hometown is in Shantou in south China’s Guangdong Province. She married Chiu and moved to Hong Kong ten years ago.

    ”I’ve witnessed the economic development and improvement of people’s life over the past decade,” said Lam, who teaches Mandarin Chinese, or Putonghua, in a kindergarten and several schools in Hong Kong.

    ”Our life is becoming better and better. As the relations between Hong Kong and the mainland are getting closer, my job is becoming more and more important,” said Lam.

    After visiting Chiu’s family, President Hu called on another four-member family in Chung On Estate, Ma On Shan, where the flat occupants, Leung Chi-sing and his wife, are school workers.

    Chatting with the family, President Hu asked about their work, life and difficulties. Seeing the family living in a small flat, Hu encouraged them to make efforts to improve their life.

    Leung’s daughter told the president that she has just graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and that she majored in costume design.

    ”I want to develop my career both in Hong Kong and the mainland,” said the girl.

    Hu said he hoped to see the new clothes designed by Leung in the future.

    When the girl said “I wish to let you wear the clothes designed by me,” the president laughed and nodded.

    Hu arrived in Hong Kong earlier on Friday to attend the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China and the swearing-in ceremony of the third-term government of the HKSAR.

Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) meets with Hong Kong youngsters and listens to their presentations in Hong Kong, south China, on June 29, 2007. The youngsters attended an exchange program with Beijing youths to celebrate Hong Kong’s 10th return anniversary and greet the 2008 Olympic Games from April 5 to 9 in Beijing.  (Xinhua Photo)

    HONG KONG, June 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Hu Jintao met with some 100 young Hong Kong Olympics fans and shared with them the enthusiasm for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Wu Kwai Sha Youth Village Main Hall here on Friday.

    At the meeting to share the memory of the Joint Celebration of the Reunification and 2008 Olympic Games by Beijing and Hong Kong, an exchange program launched in May in the mainland cities of Beijing and Tianjin, the young sports fans expressed their zeal about the Beijing Olympic Games in front of the president.

    Hu was briefed on the Joint Celebrations which accommodated some 380 Hong Kong students aged between 14 and 20 and heard speeches given by seven students.

    Liu Kam Wun, a student of the Buddhist Tai Hung College, said in his speech that he was deeply impressed by the national flag raising ceremony which he witnessed during the Beijing tour.

    ”I feel proud of being a Chinese,” Liu said.

    Lam Chun Yat, a student of the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, sang a song titled My China Heart at the meeting, which triggered the gathering to beat time.

    While talking to the youths, Hu said that he was impressed by Hong Kong students’ willingness to contribute to the Beijing Olympic Games.

    He said the Joint Celebrations program has helped Hong Kong students better understand the motherland.

    The president also encouraged the students to study harder in a bid to contribute more in the future to Hong Kong and the country as well.

    Hu arrived here earlier on Friday to attend celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland and the swearing-in ceremony of the third term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

    BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) — Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, and other senior lawmakers attended a lecture in Beijing on Friday to learn circular economy and its legislation.

    The lecture was given by researcher Niu Wenyuan, an expert of sustainable development from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, who illustrated the concept, theory and evaluation of circular economy as well as related legislation.

    The researcher urged lawmakers to realize the importance of circular economy in building an environment-friendly and resource-saving society.

    China is facing challenges and pressures from population growth, resource and energy shortage and environmental pollution, Niu reminded the legislators, saying the country needs urgently a law to boost circular economy to protect environment and increase energy efficiency.

    BEIJING, June 29 (Xinhua) — China’s legislature on Friday approved a treaty on judicial cooperation with New Zealand on criminal cases, which will help enhance cooperation and fight international crime.

    Under the treaty, the two countries will provide each other with broad assistance in criminal investigations, prosecution and litigation.

    Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei said, “With the development of ties, criminal cases involving the two countries are on the rise.”

    Wu said the treaty would further enhance judicial cooperation between the two countries, as well as bilateral cooperation.

    The 22-article treaty was signed by former Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing in New Zealand’s capital Wellington on April 6, 2006.

    Lawmakers discussed the 22-article treaty at the 28th session of the 10th Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) from June 24 to 29.

    China has signed mutual legal assistance treaties with about 50countries, and bilateral extradition treaties with more than 20 countries.

Special Report: 10th Anniversary of HK’s Return to China

    MACAO, June 29 (Xinhua) — Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, will leave here Saturday to attend the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland.

    A press release issued Friday by Macao’s Information Bureau said Ho, upon his arrival, is scheduled to attend a welcome banquet hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government for Chinese President Hu Jintao.

    He is also to be present at the gala party held on late Saturday marking the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland, said the release.

    It added that Ho is scheduled to return to Macao on Sunday after attending the swearing-in ceremony of the third-term government of the HKSAR.