Hong Kong will stress the need for commitment to trade liberalisation when its delegation attends next month's Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (Apec) forum meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Director-General of Trade Alan Lai Nin said yesterday.
Priority would be given to achieving agreement on early voluntary sector liberalisation (EVSL).
Mr Lai said the only obstacle to full agreement among the 18 members was from Japan which maintained concerns about fish and forestry products.
Economic ministers were required to report their conclusions on EVSL this year.
'If we could agree to an EVSL package I'd regard it as the major achievement of Apec this year,' Mr Lai said. Special effort would be devoted to the issue of electronic commerce.
Although some Apec members needed to be reassured about security and training issues, Mr Lai was hopeful that the Kuala Lumpur meeting would produce a plan of action for 'e-commerce'.
He did not anticipate any review of the deadlines agreed to at the Bogor Declaration on free trade in 1994, but the emphasis on free trade was necessary to guard against the temptation of protectionism during a period of economic downturn.