Margaret Chan arrived in Hong Kong Sunday afternoon from Beijing in preparedness for her running for Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), saying the central government has promised full support for her running for the post.

Chan, serving as WHO Assistant Director-General for Communicable Diseases now, told the press after arriving at the Hong Kong International Airport that she had met with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and some other senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health in the past two days in Beijing. She said she thought the meetings are important for helping raise her competitiveness in the WHO post running.

She said she would visit dozens of countries and regions for running for the post, which would require much help from Chinese embassies and consulates there. She emphasized that the central government has promised to give all-out support at this point.

Chan said that during her stay in Hong Kong, she would meet with Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, and chief officials from the health and other related departments, listening to their views on the major health subjects in the region.

The Chinese government announced Tuesday that it would support Chan to run for Director-General of WHO and spoke highly of her contribution in fighting for communicable diseases.

The election for WHO Director-General will be in November this year.

Chan had served in the Hong Kong government for 25 years before she took the current WHO post in 2003.

She did not reveal her time-table for her Hong Kong journey.

Source: Xinhua