Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said Saturday his government needs to promote comprehensive community development, to get closer to the people, to improve governance and to properly plan political arrangements for the future.

In his "Letter from Hong Kong" delivered on Radio and Television of Hong Kong, Tung said the HKSAR government fully understands the aspirations of the people and will seriously and properly handle all matters relating to the constitutional review in strict accordance with the Basic Law.

the central government is seriously concerned about the development of Hong Kong's political structure, he added.

"The HKSAR government considers that to make proper arrangements for the constitutional review, we must first achieve a clear understanding of the important issues of principle and law which the process implies."

He said he has commissioned a task force to seriously examine these issues, in particular those concerning the understanding of the relevant provisions of the Basic Law, and to consult relevant authorities of the central government.

The task force is headed by Chief Secretary for Administration Donald Tsang, and its members include Secretary for Justice Elsie Leung and Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Stephen Lam.

Tung said he wrote this letter with mixed feelings. The extraordinary calendar year that just ended was one of severe trials for Hong Kong. As bliss comes out of the depth of misfortune, he believed Hong Kong has transcended the worst of its difficulties.

He said it is evident that the economy has rebounded + both unemployment and deflation are moving downward. "We owe all of this to the staunch support of the central government, the rapid growth of the Chinese economy and the concerted efforts of the whole community," Tung said.

He expected the next two years will have much better things in store. As far as the mid- and long-term prospects are concerned, the rapid economic growth in China will surely benefit Hong Kong.

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