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It was worthwhile for Hong Kong to host the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to demonstrate Hong Kong's concerns for the poorest citizens in the world and enhance its reputation as Asia's world city, the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, said today (January 6).
Speaking at a luncheon organised by the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre, Mr Tsang said while Hong Kong recognised the risks associated with the hosting of the conference, as a supporter of free trade and the WTO, Hong Kong was determined to discharge its responsibilities as a world citizen in support of the multilateral trading system.
"We were determined to demonstrate our competence as Asia's world city by tackling whatever challenges the conference threw up, both inside and outside the venue.
"I believe that our police force showed what a thoroughly professional organisation they are, while our long experience as trade negotiators helped us get results inside the negotiating chamber.
"We have also enhanced our reputation as a great world city. Above all, by shouldering our responsibilities as a global citizen, and by taking up the mantle for the poorest citizens on our planet, I believe Hong Kong has demonstrated a maturity and a concern for others that will be remembered and recognised well beyond the afterglow of this very successful conference," Mr Tsang said.
He noted that the Hong Kong Conference was an important milestone on the way to complete the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) which aimed to level the playing field of world trade for developing countries, and for the poorer economies which still struggle to provide more than survival for millions of their citizens.
He recapped that during the conference period, for more than 100 hours, the leading diplomats and statesmen of world trade were locked in tense, difficult and occasionally volatile and acrimonious negotiations.
"For the last 48 hours, these talks went on almost non-stop. As host, I chaired all of these meetings.
"In the end, all the hard work paid off. We produced a package worthy of Hong Kong's good name in world trade," Mr Tsang said.
He noted that Members eventually agreed to a phased withdrawal of agricultural export subsides by 2013; detailed a package of duty-free, quota-free measures for 32 of the poorest countries; and made commitments to help 10 million African cotton growers by eliminating subsidies in their own cotton-growing industry by the end of the present year.
"I am pleased to say that the Hong Kong Declaration is a phrase that carries a positive ring in world trade circles from now on," he said.
Ends/Friday, January 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:22
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