Donald Tsang was sworn in as chief executive of Hong Kong on Friday, ending a tumultuous period in the territory's politics, as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao vowed to respect its wide-ranging autonomy, Reuters reported. Tsang became the leader of the former British colony in a ceremony presided over by State Councillor Hua Jianmin in the Hong Kong room of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the official Xinhua news agency said. The job came up when Tsang's unpopular predecessor, Tung Chee-hwa, resigned in March, citing poor health. Tung was Hong Kong's leader for eight years dating back to the handover of sovereignty from Britain to China in July 1997, but his tenure was marred by a string of policy failures that drove hundreds of thousands into the streets to protest. Tsang, a veteran civil servant known for his trademark bow-ties, has vowed to win back public trust. In a meeting after the ceremony, Wen said he hoped Tsang would lead the government and Hong Kong people "to to make new contributions to Hong Kong's prosperity and stability", Xinhua said. --More 1140 Local Time 0840 GMT
