Official attacks US bid to put workers' rights into trade deals

SECRETARY for Trade and Industry Chau Tak-hay yesterday made a veiled criticism of efforts by the United States to introduce the issue of workers' conditions into international trade agreements.

Mr Chau, who was speaking at the ministerial conference in Marrakesh, Morocco, to mark the end of seven years of negotiations on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), warned of ''protectionists hiding behind the worthy motives of others''.

Moves by Washington to link trade and working conditions have sparked a bitter response from developing countries who claim that it is a matter of national sovereignty.

Mr Chau would not comment directly on the issue but quoted an editorial from the The Economist magazine which concluded that the ''costs of pressing for new links between trade and basic human rights outweigh the likely benefits''.

He also said Hong Kong had not signed the Government Procurement Agreement because it breaches the ''fundamental principles of most-favoured nation (MFN) and non-discrimination''.

''We simply could not agree to add Hong Kong's name to such a flawed agreement. We had made a good offer in the negotiations. We have exemplary, open and non-discriminatory systems of public procurement.