TNAG-1491-FCO40-2049-Future-of-Hong-Kong-General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade-(-1986 — Page 220

STATEMENT BY MR.QIU WENMIN, HEAD OF THE CHINESE

DELEGATION AT THE 41STSESSION OF THE CONTRACTING

PARTIES

Mr. Chairman,

China has been pursueing a basic national policy

of opening to the outside world. As a result, there has

been a rapid growth of its external relations in economy,

trade and technical cooperation in recent years. Mean-

while, China's contacts in multilateral economic and

trade fields have been strengthened, and its involvement

in GATT activities has been expanded. My government is

now actively engaged in a process of preparation for the

resumption of China's membership in the GATT, and will

make a formal application in due course. My government

pays great attention to the proposed new round of mul-

tilateral trade negotiation, which has become an important

event in the GATT, and hopes that the New Round would

help to bring the world trade into a healthy development

and particularly to create favourable conditions for the

trade growth of the developing countries. In this context,

the Chinese Government wishes to consider positively its

participation in the new round of multilateral trade

negotiations.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.