7-
-
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1994
HONG KONG WANTS FREE TRADE DECLARATION
H FROM THE ASIA-PACIFIC AT THEIR MEETING TO BE
CHAU, EXPRESSED
THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR T HONG KONG'S HOPE FOR A FREE TRADE DECLARATION ECONOMIC COOPERATION (APEC) ECONOMIC LEADERS HELD IN BOGOR, INDONESIA ON NOVEMBER 15 (TUESDAY).
HE WAS SPEAKING AT THE SIXTH APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING HELD ON NOVEMBER 11 AND 12 IN JAKARTA, INDONESIA.
17
BOGOR A FREE
"OUR HOPE,
HE SAID, "IS THAT THERE WILL ISSUE FROM STRONG DECLARATION OF APEC'S COLLECTIVE COMMITMENT TO ACHIEVING TRADE IN APEC BY A SPECIFIC AND CREDIBLE DATE.
DECISIVE DECLARATION
STAGE.
THE
INITIATIVE FOR LEADING GLOBAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT LIBERALISATION LIES
WHICH WITH
WITH
"A
GIVES APEC
CENTRE
US, INCREASINGLY
ORIENTED. EXTERNALLY VIEW, THAT WE RETAIN THE INITIATIVE.
ECONOMIES
ARE ALL
IT IS VITALLY
GROWING AND
IN IMPORTANT,
WHICH
ARE MY
H
BEYOND LOOKING
BOGOR, MR CHÂU STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING UP THE MOMENTUM OF TRADE LIBERALISATION, "APEC SHOULD FOCUS ON IMMEDIATELY ACHIEVABLE A PRACTICAL PACKAGE OF THINGS WHICH ARE MORE AND DELIVERABLE, SAID MR CHAU.
TO
NEED "FIRST, WE MR CHAU SUGGESTED FOUR REASONS FOR THIS:
SECONDLY, DEMONSTRATE TO THE REST OF THE WORLD THAT WE ARE SERIOUS.
WITH OUR WE NEED
CREDIBILITY
BUSINESS ΤΟ GIVE OURSELVES GREATER
CHANGE. CONSTITUENCIES. THIRDLY, WE NEED TO BUILD UP A MOMENTUM FOR
TO TAKE FOURTHLY, WE NEED TO ALLOW OURSELVES SUFFICIENT FLEXIBILITY ACCOUNT OF APEC'S ECONOMIC DIVERSITY.
ITS
"I AM PLEASED, THEREFORE THAT APEC HAS SET PRIORITIES FOR
IMMEDIATE TRADE FACILITATION WORK AND HOPE THAT SUCH WORK WILL BRING AND TANGIBLE BENEFITS TO OUR BUSINESSMEN,
HE ADDED.
MR CHAU ALSO URGED APEC MEMBERS TO REAFFIRM THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM AND THEIR DETERMINATION TO SET UP WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION ON JANUARY 1, 1995.
INVESTMENT ISSUES,
BESIDES TRADE AND
THE APEC MINISTERIAL MEETING ALSO DISCUSSED ECONOMIC TREND AND ISSUES, THE SECOND REPORT OF REPORT, THE EMINENT PERSONS GROUP, THE REPORT OF THE PACIFIC BUSINESS
IN CO-OPERATION HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT,
PROMOTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT,
OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ISSUES OF ENTERPRISES, AND OTHER WORK PROGRAMMES AND ORGANISATIONAL
INFRASTRUCTURE
APEC.
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG DELEGATION INCLUDE THE DIRECTOR- Y GENERAL OF TRADE, MR TONY MILLER; THE GOVERNMENT ECONOMIST, MR TANG; DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR A R CLARK; AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF INDUSTRY, MR DOMINIC LAW.
APEC IS
INFORMAL AN
FORUM
FOR HIGH
LEVEL
GOVERNMENT-TO- AND COMPRISES 18 ARE: AUSTRALIA, BRUNEI THE MINISTERIAL
GOVERNMENT
ON TRADE AND ECONOMIC ISSUES, DIALOGUE MEMBERS. BESIDES HONG KONG, OTHER MEMBERS DARUSSALAM, CANADA, CHILE (WHICH BECAME A MEMBER AT MEETING),
JAPAN, INDONESIA,
MALAYSIA, KOREA, ZEALAND, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, THE PHILIPPINES, SINGAPORE, CHINESE TAIPEI, THAILAND AND THE U.S.
CHINA,
MEXICO,
NEW
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