Government guarded on trade zone
The Government has rejected a demand from legislators for details of a proposal put to Beijing on the setting up of a regional free-trade zone.
Secretary for Commerce and Industry Chau Tak-hay told members the administration could not disclose details because Beijing had yet to give approval to the basic principles.
Mr Chau said the free-trade zone idea was one of the proposals submitted to the central Government to improve cross-border trade under the framework of the World Trade Organisation.
Legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing, of The Frontier, said she was disappointed with Mr Chau's reply.
'Is it government policy that if any of their proposals haven't been approved, they will not tell Legco and be accountable to it as specified in Article 64 of the Basic Law?' she asked.
Mr Chau said only broad principles about the free-trade zone were proposed.
'It's too early to comment on the details,' he said.
His remarks were challenged by Democrat James To Kun-sun, who said: 'Does it mean that the proposal doesn't have any content, just a title only?'
Mr Chau replied: 'Yes, you are right. But what a regional free-trade zone means is stated clearly in the WTO regulations, so it's not an empty concept.'
