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The Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government, today (March 31) attended the Welcome Ceremony for the Olympic Flame and Launching Ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Torch Relay at Tianamen Square, Beijing.
Mr Tsang said he was glad to have the opportunity to attend today¡¯s ceremonies which were solemn and full of excitement. President Hu Jintao handed over the torch to Olympic gold medallist and outstanding hurdler Liu Xiang. "This shows that the country attaches great importance to the Olympic flame and the launching ceremony," Mr Tsang said.
¡°The Olympic flame is the highest ideal of the Olympic spirit as well as a human¡¯s dreams. Today¡¯s ceremonies signify a milestone of China¡¯s opening up.
¡°The torch relay is unprecedented in terms of the length of the route, the geographical coverage and the number of torch bearers. After the relay in Beijing, the torch will be carried through all five continents, and then back to China, with Hong Kong being the first stop. Hong Kong will serve as a link between the Mainland and other places. The HKSAR Government will do its utmost, with thorough planning, to ensure that the torch relay in Hong Kong will be held successfully,¡± Mr Tsang said.
Ends/Monday, March 31, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:35
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