BEIJING has told Anson Chan Fang

On-sang and the civil service she leads to "provide better support"

to Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa yesterday.

The Chief Secretary for Administration, who is on a short visit to the

capital, was given the toe-the-line message in a meeting with

Vice-Premier Qian Qichen.

The admonishment was released by Xinhua News Agency just minutes after

the meeting in what observers said was unusual.

But Mrs Chan immediately tried to play down the report.

"This is nothing new," she said. "In my previous encounters and

discussions with Central Government leaders, they had always put

emphasis on what a key role the civil service plays and how important

it is for the civil service as a whole to support the Chief Executive

in the difficult tasks and problems that he has to deal with.

"I am very clear about my duty and my role, and my duty and my role

is to support the Chief Executive in ruling Hong Kong."

Mrs Chan met Mr Qian and the State Council's Hong Kong and Macau

Affairs Office director Liao Hui for about 90 minutes at Zhongnanhai

leadership compound before returning to Mr Liao's office for an

hour-long one-on-one meeting.

On Saturday, the Hong Kong iMail reported that Mrs Chan would be told

to play a more supportive role to Mr Tung during her visit as state

leaders were dissatisfied with her performance since her term of

office was extended.

Mrs Chan dismissed reports of differences between her and Mr Tung. "I

feel there are no grounds for such speculation," she said. "They

bring unnecessary worries to the Hong Kong public as well as

instability to the civil service.

"What we need very much now is a united and stable community as well

as a united civil service with a high morale to ensure the continued

successful implementation of the `one country, two systems' principle

and `Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong'," she said.

Mrs Chan would not deny that the topic of Mr Tung seeking another term

was discussed.

"Mr Qian has said a lot. What needs to be said has been said," she

said, adding that she told the vice-premier that reports of

differences between Mr Tung and her were groundless.

When asked if she thought those reports had anything to do with the

likelihood that Mr Tung would seek another term, Mrs Chan said: "It

may be related."

She was then asked if she had any plan to run for Chief Executive in

2002 and replied that her stance had not changed on the subject.

However, she did not elaborate on her existing stance.

In an apparent reference to negative comments about her, Mrs Chan

said: "State leaders are not in Hong Kong and they may not understand

Hong Kong's situation."

"I also don't want to see other people coming here to say anything,"

she said.

She said Mr Qian was concerned about the operation and morale of the

civil service. "Civil servants have come under a lot of pressure

these last few years. We have implemented a lot of major reforms and,

on the whole, have performed very well in the face of these

challenges."

A survey earlier this month showed that two-thirds of civil servants

were dissatisfied with Mr Tung's performance.

graceloo@hk-imail.com

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