The Chief Executive, Mr Edmund Ho Hau Wah, left Macao for Beijing this evening to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games tomorrow evening.

At the airport, Mr Ho was asked by reporters for comments about the effect of the new arrangement of Mainland visitors holding travel permit for Hong Kong and Macao or Hong Kong travel permit not allowed to visit Macao via Hong Kong.

Mr Ho said that the effect on the number of visitors was inevitable soon after the implementation of the new arrangement on 1 Sept. However, he said he believed that the arrangement would be less influential to the number of visitors in the long run.

On Sunday, the Chief Executive will visit Fujian to attend the 12th China International Fair for Investment and Trade.

The Secretary for Administration and Justice, Ms Florinda Chan, will be Acting Chief Executive while Mr Ho is away.