THURSDAY, MARCH 14, 1991

SUCCESSFUL MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS VITAL TO HK: GOVERNOR

HONG KONG STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE APPEALS FOR CONSTRUCTIVE ACTION NOW TO ENSURE THAT THE MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS, THE URUGUAY ROUND IS NOT HELD UP FURTHER, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID IN THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS ON THURSDAY (MARCH 14).

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ADDRESSING THE NETHERLANDS-HONG KONG SOCIETY, THE GOVERNOR SAID HONG KONG WANTED TRADE BARREERS TO BE REDUCED, AND WHERE POSSIBLE REMOVED, NOT RAISED OR REPLACED BY OTHER PROTECTIONÍST DEVICES.

"IT IS THEREFORE VITALLY IMPORTANT FOR US THAT THE CURRENT MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATIONS, THE URUGUAY ROUND, COME TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.

"THE WORLD

GOING THROUGH SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IMPORTANT THAT THESE ARE ALLOWED TO WORK THROUGH WITHOUT RISKS OF INCREASED TRADE RESTRICTIONS.

AND

IT

IS

THE

ADDED

IT

IS DISAPPOINTING THAT THE ROUND HAS NOT BEEN CONCLUDED PLANNED, SIR DAVID SAID.

AS

SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG DEPENDED ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND IT BELIEVED AS AN ARTICLE OF FAITH THAT FREE TRADE PRODUCED THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER.

"WF

H

ARE PROOF THAT IT WORKS, HE SAID, ADDING THAT FREE TRADE WORKED FOR ALL, NOT JUST FOR HONG KONG.

"SOME OF THE CHANGES TAKING PLACE IN THE WORLD HAVE BEEN PARTICULARLY BENEFRIAL TO THE EUROPE/ASIA RELATIONSHIP, AS THEY SEEM TO HAVE INDIRECTLY ALLAYED THE FEARS OF A FORTRESS EUROPE THAT WERE SO PREVALENT ONLY A YEAR AGO.

"THIS IS ENCOURAGING. WE MUST ALL HOPE THAT NEITHER WILL THESE FEARS RECUR, NOR WILL THERE BE ANY BASIS FOR THEM.

"NOBODY SHOPLD WANT A TENDENCY IN INSTEAD OF OUTWARDS. 47 THE GROWING OPPORTUNITIES OF THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION

7

EUROPE TO LOOK ONLY INWARDS, CONSUMER POWER AND MARKET

SIR DAVIDY POINTED OUT THAT TUE NETHERLANDS AND HONG KONG HAD NEVER BEEN SO

THE GOVERNOR SAID.

RELA

LATIONSHIP STRONG.

BETWEEN THE

JIN BELIEVED THERE WERF TWO MAIN REASONS FOR THIS CLOSE RELATIONSHIP: A SHARED BELIEF J IN THE VIRTUES OF FREE TRADE; AND THE IMAGINATION TO EXPLOIT THE OPPORTUNITIES THIS PROVIDED.

/HE POINTED

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