Chief Executive (CE) Donald Tsang, who is seeking a second term, yesterday continued his election campaign by listening to proposals on innovation and technology.

He also visited a locally-funded toy manufacturing company and a logistics services company at the container terminal building.

In the morning, Tsang met business and industrial people led by Regina Ip, chairperson of the board of governors of Savantas Policy Institute.

Raymond Ch'ien, a former Executive Councillor, who was among them, said after the meeting that he had given his opinion on the development of the software industry in Hong Kong.

Ip said that they had submitted to Tsang a proposal on development of the border area and the co-operation on technology with Shenzhen.

"We have submitted to him, a concrete, win-win proposal on technology co-operation with the mainland," she said.

"He is quite interested in that and we will follow up with the proposal as long as he is re-elected."

Speaking to the media after visiting the two enterprises, Tsang said both of them had been operating for more than 30 years.

For the toy company, it encountered difficulties in expanding its business on the mainland when the Asian Financial Crisis broke out in 1998.

"Fortunately, it received help from the Trade and Industry Department's small and medium enterprises loan fund to buy machinery, thus improving its business in recent years.

"But they hope the government could further help them in seeking talents and promoting the business in order to consolidate their business on the mainland," said Tsang.

As to the logistics company, he said it faced competition from the mainland although it is a sizable company with operations on the mainland.

He promised assistance to the small and medium enterprises by promoting services through the Trade Development Council, and the Trade and Industry Department, at the same time maintaining the "small government, big market" principle.

Albert Wong, owner of Eastern Worldwide Co Ltd that Tsang visited, hoped the government would help promote the logistics sector.

People know very little about logistics and most people are unwilling to join the trade, he said.

He also asked the government to cut tax on diesel fuel and first registration tax to motivate the companies to buy the more environment-friendly Euro IV vehicles.

Wave of support

Donald Tsang enjoys high popularity in the chief executive (CE) election bid, a latest survey said.

His support level is 70.5 marks compared to Alan Leong's 46.2, the University of Hong Kong's opinion poll revealed.

Moreover, 78 percent Hongkongers said they would vote Tsang, while only 15 percent said they would vote for Leong.