XN000022-1994-11-12 — Page 8

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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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