FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1992
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GOVERNOR PUSHES FIGHT FOR FREE TRADE
THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, TODAY (FRIDAY) SPOKE PASSIONATELY ABOUT THE NEED FOR GOVERNMENTS TO ADOPT FREE TRADE POLICIES.
DELIVERING A KEYNOTE SPEECH AT A LUNCHEON IN TOKYO ATTENDED BY NEARLY 600 JAPANESE BUSINESS PEOPLE, MR PATTEN SAID HE BELIEVED "PASSIONATELY THAT IT IS FREE TRADE THAT KICKSTARTS AND MAINTAINS THE MOMENTUM IN RAISING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL".
"IT IS FREE TRADE THAT WE SHOULD FIGHT FOR, HE STRESSED.
THE GOVERNOR SAID THE KEY TO DEALING WITH TRADING PROBLEMS CO-OPERATION.
WAS
TOGETHER, HONG KONG, JAPAN AND THE REGION COULD STRIVE FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF ASIA.
THE
"TOGETHER THROUGH OUR CONTRIBUTION TO ORGANISATIONS SUCH AS THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, THE PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION COUNCIL AND THE. ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION, WE CAN PLAY A VITAL PART IN THIS PROCESS," MR PATTEN SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE POSSIBLE WITHDRAWAL OR LIMITATION OF CHINA'S MOST FAVOURED NATION (MFN) TRADING STATUS IN THE UNITED STATES WAS A THREAT TO THE HONG KONG SUCCESS STORY, AS THE TWO NATIONS WERE HONG KONG'S LARGEST TRADING PARTNERS.
"THAT IS WHY ONE OF MY BIGGEST TASKS NEXT YEAR WILL BE TO GET MESSAGE ACROSS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE THAT POLITICISATION OF TRADE CANNOT BE THE RIGHT WAY FORWARD FOR ANYONE.
THE
"WHAT IS NEEDED IS MORE DIALOGUE AND MORE TRADE. DISENGAGEMENT AND LESS TRADE," MR PATTEN SAID.
NOT
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SOUTHERN CHINA, WHICH PRODUCED OVER HALF OF CHINA'S EXPORTS THE U.S. WAS THE MOST OPEN AND OUTWARD-LOOKING PART OF THE COUNTRY'S ECONOMY, AND IT WOULD BE HURT THE MOST IN ANY CHINA/U.S. TRADE FRICTION.
MR
PATTEN DESCRIBED THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM REPRESENTED BY THE GATT AS THE CRUCIAL FACTOR IN SHAPING THE WORLD'S TRADING FUTURE.
HE SAID HE WAS GLAD THE
U.S. AND THE BC HAD JUST REACHED AGREEMENT ON THE MAJOR ELEMENTS BLOCKING THE URUGUAY ROUND AND ADDED THAT IT WOULD BE A "TRAGEDY IF THE ROUND WERE TO COME TO NOTHING",
"
"WE BELIEVE THAT SECTORS WHICH ARE NOT LONGER BE PROTECTED.
COMPETITIVE
/MR PATTEN
SHOULD NO