Anglican Communion News Service

Hong Kong's chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, has guaranteed to a major Church gathering that Hong Kong's religious freedoms - both of individuals and organisations - will not be tampered with following the return of the territory to China.

In one of his first public engagements since he took over as the administrator of Hong Kong on 1 July, Tung Chee-hwa welcomed the Lutheran World Federation to Hong Kong where it is holding its ninth assembly. In a speech clearly intended to reassure local churches and the Christian community worldwide, he said that the LWF's choice of assembly site "demonstrated eloquently your confidence in the future of Hong Kong".

Mr Tung, a multi-millionaire Hong Kong businessman chosen by Beijing to run the territory now that it has been reunited with the People's Republic, received standing ovations from the 900 delegates and visitors on his arrival and departure in the convention hall.

His tone in his speech was optimistic and upbeat, beginning with a declaration that the citizens of Hong Kong were filled with pride that, after 156 years under British rule, "Hong Kong people took on responsibility for Hong Kong affairs". He praised the "one country, two systems" concept devised by Beijing to allow Hong Kong to maintain its freedoms under Chinese sovereignty.

"The government of the People's Republic of China has granted Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy and a lifestyle that will not change for a long, long, long time to come," he said.

Mr Tung went out of his way to specify that Churches will not suffer because of the change of sovereignty.

"One of the freedoms that my government will preserve is, of course, freedom of religion," Tung Chee-hwa said.

He then read to the assembly the provisions of Article 141 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong, which was adopted in 1990 by the Beijing government.

(Article 141 guarantees that: The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall not restrict the freedom of religious belief, interfere in the internal affairs of religious organisations or restrict religious activities which do not contravene the laws of the region; Religious organisations will retain the rights to own, buy and sell property, and receive assistance;

Religious organisations may continue to run seminaries, schools, hospitals and welfare institutions; Religious organisations and believers may maintain and develop their relations with organisations and believers elsewhere.)

Such a clear confirmation from the new chief executive is likely to allay any fears among Hong Kong's Churches that they would be subject to the state regulations governing religious practice in the rest of the People's Republic of China. However those local Christians sceptical of the Beijing government's guarantees for Hong Kong believe that any changes to the present situation will be made gradually, and in the long-term rather than immediately. About 8 per cent of Hong Kong's population of 6.4 million is Christian.

Hong Kong has about 50 denominations, with about 260 000 Protestants and a similar number of Roman Catholics. Most Hong Kong residents are followers of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism or of mixtures of the three faiths.