*************************************
Following is the transcript of remarks by the Chief Executive, Mr C Y Leung, at a media session at the Office of the Chief Executive at Tamar today (March 2) to announce the appointment of Mr Nicholas W Yang as Advisor to the Chief Executive on Innovation and Technology, Non-official Member of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Innovation and Technology:
Reporter: How do you think Mr Yang can help you as a consultant, and why do you have to appoint him also as an ExCo member? And one question for Mr Yang. Mr Yang, are you disappointed that you cannot become a bureau secretary, and what will be your priorities?
Mr Nicholas W Yang: I think the most important question is not I'm disappointed. I think there are a lot of so-called experts and the Hong Kong people in innovation and technology field, they are disappointed. And I think it is important to know that in today's global economy, innovation and technology really is probably the best value accelerator and at the same time solution for a lot of the social issues that we face.
Chief Executive: The importance of innovation and technology in the work of the Government of Hong Kong and through the work of the Government of Hong Kong to foster both social and economic developments is well understood by everyone in the community, perhaps with the exception of a handful of opposition members of the Legislative Council who resorted to filibustering to frustrate Government's efforts in this direction. We cannot fall behind. As I said on the 14th of last month, when the Government's initiative had the last step, which is the Finance Committee stage, was frustrated, our competitors out there, Hong Kong's competitors out there, must be quietly laughing. And therefore we must catch up, we cannot afford to fall behind, and in the absence of the Innovation and Technology Bureau, we need to have someone like Mr Nick Yang, who has kindly agreed to be my advisor and also a Non-official Member of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Innovation and Technology Committee, to advise myself and advise the Government as to what we need to do so that we do not fall behind, so that Government can deliver to everyone in the community the benefits of innovation and technology to make our lives in Hong Kong more efficient, safer and more comfortable, and to develop or help develop innovation and technology as sectors of the economy.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Monday, March 2, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:23
NNNN