5
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1989
"WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF OUR ACHIEVEMENTS WHICH ARE QUITE OUT OF PROPORTION TO THE SIZE OF THE POPULATION AND THE AREA OF THIS TERRITORY," HE SAID.
MR CHAN POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG'S ACTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE ROLE IN THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS HAD PAID OFF HANDSOMELY.
"DURING THE MID-TERM REVIEW CONDUCTED IN MONTREAL AND GENEVA, WE WERE INVITED TO JOIN THE RATHER EXCLUSIVE AND HIGH LEVEL CORE GROUPS CONSISTING OF NO MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF KEY PLAYERS IN THE
NEGOTIATIONS.
"THROUGH THESE PROCESSES, HONG KONG WAS ABLE TO INFLUENCE DIRECTLY THE OUTCOME OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS AND ΤΟ DEFEND OUR INTERESTS WHERE NECESSARY," HE SAID.
MR CHAN SAID WHETHER THE URUGUAY ROUND WOULD PROVE TO BE A QUANTUM LEAP FOR THE GATT REMAINED TO BE SEEN.
"MUCH DEPENDS ON THE ATTITUDE OF THE U.S. WHO HAD PLEDGED ITS SUPPORT FOR THE URUGUAY ROUND BUT WHOSE RECENT ACTIONS HAVE CAUSED WIDESPREAD CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE BREACHES OF THE U.S. COMMITMENT ΤΟ THE ROUND.
"MUCH WOULD ALSO DEPEND ON THE ATTITUDE OF SOME DEVELOPING COUNTRIES WHO FEEL THEY HAVE BEEN ASKED TO MAKE TOO MANY CONCESSIONS IN TOO MANY AREAS AND YET HAVE BEEN GIVEN MUCH LESS IN RETURN, SAID.
T
HE
MR CHAN SAID HONG KONG WOULD OF COURSE BE PREPARED TO CONTINUE TO PARTICIPATE CONSTRUCTIVELY AND ACTIVELY IN THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS.
"TOGETHER WITH OUR FRIENDS, WE WILL PRESS AHEAD SUBSTANTIVE AGREEMENT ON ALL 15 SUBJECTS CAN BE ACHIEVED BY 1990 WHEN THE URUGUAY ROUND CONCLUDES.
SO THAT OCTOBER
"INDEED A DISPLAY OF POLITICAL COURAGE AND GOODWILL BY ALL TO HE CARRY OUT THE URUGUAY ROUND NEGOTIATIONS TO FRUITION IS REQUIRED, SAID.
MR CHAN SAID IT WAS TRUE THAT, IN RECENT TIMES RISING PROTECTIONSIM, ESPECIALLY IN OUR MAJOR MARKETS, HAD INCREASINGLY OBSTRUCTED THE OPERATION OF THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM EMBODIED IN THE GATT.
"IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE INTERNATIONAL TRADING SCENE HAS WITNESSED SUCH A PROLIFERATION OF TRADE RESTRICTIVE AND DISTORTIVE MEASURES TAKEN OUTSIDE GATT RULES, AND APPLIED UNILATERALLY OR
EXISTENCE BILATERALLY, THAT THE VERY
OF THE MULTILATERAL TRADING
SYSTEM ITSELF IS SERIOUSLY THREATENED.
DEVELOPMENT HE SAID THIS
HAD LED SOME INTERNATIONAL TRADE OBSERVERS TO ASK THE QUESTION "IS THE GATT ALREADY DEAD?"
/"I DO