Speech at the Consular Corps Dinner
by Mr Donald Tsang, the Chief Executive of HKSAR
February 15, 2012
出席驻港领事团晚宴的致辞
香港特别行政区行政长官 曾荫权
2012年2月15日
Doyen, Members of the Consular Corps, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
领事团团长、各位领事团人员、各位嘉宾、各位先生、女士：
Good evening everyone and thank you very much for the invitation to join you tonight. Can I just start by extending my belated - but no less warm - wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Dragon. Kung Hei Fat Choy!
晚上好。感谢领事团的邀请，让我今日晚上能够与大家欢聚畅谈。虽然今日已经是农历正月二十四，我仍想藉此机会祝各位龙年快乐、身体健康。恭喜发财。
Alas, this is the last time that I will break bread with you as the Chief Executive. So, I must thank you all most sincerely for your support of Hong Kong during my tenure. It's been a great pleasure getting to know you and working with you.
这是我最后一次以行政长官身份出席这晚宴。我衷心感谢各位在我任期内鼎力支持香港。能够认识大家、与大家携手合作，我感到非常荣幸。
I'd also like to take this opportunity to stress that your presence in Hong Kong matters very much to us - it is of strategic importance to our development past, present and future. That also means it is of strategic importance to China, as she continues to open up and reform, to engage the world and to play a more prominent role economically and politically on the global stage.
我也借这个机会向各位强调，领事团的工作，对香港的过去、现在及未来发展，都举足轻重。随中国继续改革开放、走向世界，并在国际政经舞台上担当更重要角色，领事团的工作，对中国益显重大意义。
One of the great things about Hong Kong is that we have such a substantial Consular Corps - 120 consulates-general or consulates, and five officially recognised bodies. Your presence here helps to foster deeper economic and cultural exchanges - and, by extension, greater understanding about Hong Kong in your home country, greater understanding about your home country in Hong Kong and through Hong Kong in the Mainland of China. You and your missions are an integral part of our recipe for success as Asia's world city. And indeed for a cordial and peaceful globalised world.
香港的优势之一，在于我们有阵容庞大的领事团，包括一百二十家总领事馆及领事馆、五家官方认可领事机构。外国在港派驻领事，有助促进双方经济文化交流，加深彼此了解，也让中国透过香港更好认识您的国家。香港得以成为亚洲国际都会，世界得以和平一体化，各位领事团人员功不可没。
One of the reasons that Hong Kong has thrived is because we have such broad and deep connections around the globe. Our future as a global financial, trading and business centre depends not just on maintaining those links - but on making them broader and deeper for our mutual benefit. It also means making new friends, exploring new markets and developing new contacts.
香港能够繁荣兴盛，因为我们与全球各地建立纵深广阔的联系。要巩固香港作为环球金融、贸易及商业中心的地位，我们不但需要维持，更要努力开拓现有的国际联系，达到各方互惠共赢。我们也要致力开发新市场，与更多国家地区交往。
