(12 Mar 2005)
1. Limousine arrives, Tung Chee-hwa appears and shakes hands with hotel manager and Chen Zuoer, deputy director of Hong Kong and Macau office of the Chinese state council
2. Tung enters hotel lobby and shakes hands with Hong Kong press
3. Tung walks by cameras without making a comment
4. Tung heads for lift
5. Lift doors close as press pursues
STORYLINE:
Hong Kong leader Tung Chee-hwa arrived in Beijing on Friday to take his new seat on an elite advisory committee.
His appearance comes one day after he said failing health, not pressure from his bosses in China, forced him to quit two years early.
Beijing hasn't announced whether it would accept Tung's resignation, but it was widely believed that his departure was a carefully scripted event approved by Chinese leaders far in advance.
Tung's announcement on Thursday put an end to a political guessing game that dragged on for nearly two weeks in the former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
The 67-year-old leader rejected widespread speculation that China was dumping him because of poor leadership, but insisted that he was leaving because fatigue was preventing him from keeping up with the long work hours.
On Saturday in Beijing, Tung is expected to be named vice chairman on the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, an elite advisory body to the Chinese legislature.
The position is usually reserved for retired leaders.
Tung, a former shipping tycoon, was picked by an 800-member election committee loaded with people loyal to Beijing.
Many criticise Tung for being an indecisive leader and a puppet of Beijing.
His Hong Kong job will be temporarily filled by the No. 2 ranking official, Donald Tsang, until a new election is held within six months.
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