Tung Chee Hwa, former chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), said here Saturday that he felt "greatly honored" to become a vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China's top advisory body.
   
"I feel greatly honored. I will work hard to serve the country on my new post," said Tung while meeting the press in Beijing Saturday evening shortly after the State Council, China's cabinet, approved his resignation as Hong Kong's government head.
   
He thanked the Central Government for approving his resignation after taking into account his actual conditions, and for the support the Central Government had given him and Hong Kong during his office tenure.
   
"I also want to thank once again the citizens of Hong Kong and my colleagues in the HKSAR government for their support," he said.
   
Tung expressed the hope that all the Hong Kong citizens would give full support to Donald Tsang, now acting chief executive of the HKSAR, and the SAR government.
   
Calling Tsang his "old colleague in many years", Tung said he firmly believed that Tsang was of superb competence and would lead Hong Kong to keep going ahead.
   
Tung, 67, announced in Hong Kong Thursday he had formally submitted to the Central Government his request for resignation from the post as chief executive of the HKSAR for health reasons.
   
At the closing meeting of the third annual full session of the 10th CPPCC National Committee Saturday afternoon, the 2,110 CPPCC members present elected Tung to the new post by an overwhelming majority.

(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2005)