TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1991
8
266 VM'S RETURN TO VIETNAM
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(TUESDAY) RETURNED
A GROUP OF 266 VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS TODAY TO VIETNAM UNDER THE UNHCR'S VOLUNTARY REPATRIATION PROGRAMME.
COMPRISING 88 MEN, 60 WOMEN, 62 BOYS AND 56 THE 79TH BATCH TO GO BACK UNDER THE PROGRAMME.
GIRLS, THEY WERE
THIS GROUP BROUGHT TO 6.617 THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE
TO MIGRANTS WHO HAVE RETURNED VOLUNTARILY THIS YEAR, AND
12,913 TOTAL NUMBER OF RETURNEES SINCE THE PROGRAMME STARTED IN MARCH 1989.
THE
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HONG KONG WORKING TOWARDS A SUCCESSFUL URUGUAY ROUND
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HONG KONG NEGOTIATORS ARE PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS TO DO THEIR BIT TOWARDS A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE URUGUAY ROUND OF GATT TALKS, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR T.H. CHAU, SAID.
SPEAKING AT THE ZONTA CLUB OF NEW TERRITORIES TODAY (TUESDAY) MR CHAU SAID IN THIS ROUND, HONG KONG IS AIMING NOT ONLY ΤΟ ACHIEVE FURTHER TRADE LIBERALISATION BUT ALSO TO OVERHAUL GATT RULES, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE THEY HAVE BECOME INADEQUATE TO COPE WITH THE TRADING REALITIES OF THE 1990'S.
ALSO UNDER DISCUSSION IS THE EXTENSION OF STANDARD NEW INTERNATIONAL RULES TO THE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AREA OF TRADE IN SERVICES, TO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION, AND TO TRADE- RELATED INVESTMENT MEASURES, HE ADDED.
P
MR CHAU SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THERE IS NOW NO FORMAL DEADLINE CONCLUDING THE URUGUAY ROUND TALKS, MOST PARTICIPANTS ARE WORKING THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO WIND UP BY EARLY 1992.
FOR ON
"A SUCCESSFUL ROUND WOULD REAFFIRM INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS TO ABIDE BY GATT OBLIGATIONS, IMPROVE THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM, AND LEAD TO AN EXPANSION OF WORLD TRADE, HE SAID.
"
HE NOTED THAT CONFIDENCE IN THE INTERNATIONAL TRADING SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO BE UNDERMINED IF THE ROUND FAILED.
"THE ABILITY OF THE GATT TO RESOLVE BILATERAL TRADE FRICTIONS MIGHT BE CALLED INTO QUESTION.
**ENTHUSIASM FOR REGIONAL ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND POSSIBLY EVEN FOR TRADING BLOCS IS LIKELY TO GATHER GREATER MOMENTUM, "HE SAID.
TRADING BLOCS ARE LIKELY ΤΟ STIFFLE INTERNATIONAL TRADE, MR CHAU ADDED.
THE
GROWTH
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OF