A senior member of Hong Kong's legislature says the election of former Hong Kong chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, as vice chairman of China's top advisory body will improve relations between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.- Xinhua/CRIENGLISH

Tung Chee Hwa, the retiring chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was elected vice chairman of China's top political advisory body on Saturday.
Tung, 67, announced in Hong Kong last Thursday that he had submitted a request to the central government to step down from his SAR post for health reasons.
The State Council, China's Cabinet, accepted Tung's resignation on Saturday.
At their closing session, the 2,110 members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference elected Tung to his new post on the advisory group by an overwhelming majority.
Later in the day, the head of the Central People's Government Hong Kong Liaison Office praised Tung and called for the Hong Kong community to work together to safeguard Hong Kong's prosperity and stability.
"He has made historic contributions to maintaining stability and prosperity in Hong Kong and the cause of 'one country, two systems,'" said the liaison office chief.
The official also praised Tung's leading role in carrying out Hong Kong's Basic Law and overcoming many difficulties such as the Asian financial crisis, other changes in the external economic situation, the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak and coping with many complex political, economic and social issues.
The central government will adhere strictly to the Basic Law in handling the transition of chief executives and will fully support Acting Chief Executive Donald Tsang and the Hong Kong government in their work to safeguard the stability and prosperity of the SAR, officials said.
At a news conference in Beijing on Saturday evening, Tung said he felt "greatly honored" and promised to work hard to serve the country in his new post as vice chairman of the CPPCC National Committee.
He thanked the central government for approving his resignation and for the support given him during his term in office.
Donald Tsang told a press conference in Hong Kong on Saturday evening that he had invited all the members of the Executive Council and the principal officials to remain in office and they accepted the invitation.
Tsang said the Hong Kong government will continue to maintain the smooth and stable operation, maintain good security and social order and guarantee the interest of investors.
He said the selection for the new chief executive will be held on July 10 according to law. The incoming chief executive will be selected by the election committee that picked Tung to serve his second term as chief executive in 2002.
Tsang said according to the Basic Law, the term of office of the selected new chief executive will be the remaining period of the second-term chief executive.
He said, by the year of 2007, the new chief executive will be selected according to new methods.