XN000022-1993-11-20 — Page 4

3

ليا

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1993

"HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO BE A SEPARATE MEMBER OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT FOR TARIFFS AND TRADE (GATT), A SEPARATE MEMBER OF APEC, A SEPARATE CUSTOMS TERRITORY AND A SEPARATE ECONOMIC ENTITY.

"THE ONLY CHANGE IS THAT HONG KONG WILL BE RENAMED AS HONG KONG-CHINA WHEN TAKING PART IN INTERNATIONAL TRADING BODIES AFTER 1997, MR CHAU SAID.

WHEN ASKED ABOUT APEC MEMBERS' COMMITMENT TO THE URUGUAY ROUND OF TRADE NEGOTIATIONS, MR CHAU REITERATED THAT ALL MEMBER COUNTRIES ATTACHED HIGHEST PRIORITY то ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION BY DECEMBER 15, 1993.

"WE ARE STRONG BELIEVERS IN FREE TRADE AND A STAUNCH SUPPORTER OF THE MULTILATERAL TRADING SYSTEM UNDER THE GATT. WE BELIEVE IN COMPETITION AND IN THE POWER OF MARKET FORCES TO ENSURE THAT GOODS AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED EFFICIENTLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY,

MR CHAU WILL BE HAVING A BILATERAL DELEGATION ON NOVEMBER 20.

"

HE SAID.

MERTING WITH

THE CHINESE

0

17TH ROUND OF ELECTION TALKS

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT WAS ISSUED BY THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN BRIJING AT 1600 HOURS TODAY (SATURDAY).

THE BRITISH SIDE AND THE CHINESE SIDE HAVE AGREED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE, ASSISTANT UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE, MR CHRISTOPHER HUM, AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE, MR JIANG ENZHU, VICE FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, WILL HOLD THEIR SEVENTEENTH ROUND OF TALKS IN BEIJING ON 26 AND 27 NOVEMBER 1993 ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, THE PRINCIPLE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE RELEVANT AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA.

/4