香港特區(qū)行政長(zhǎng)官曾蔭權(quán)在WTO香港會(huì)議上致辭

   First of all, I wish to extend a warm Hong Kong welcome to all of you. Hong Kong, China is deeply honoured to be the host of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation. 

   This week, under this very roof, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance the existing international trading environment; to generate wealth on a broader and deeper scale globally; and, most important of all, to help alleviate the pain of poverty for millions of people living in the poorer parts of this world. I am pleased that Hong Kong, China is today at the centre of this admirable enterprise.

   I cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of the WTO. It is the only international organization that deals with the rules of trade between economies. It is the rules-based forum at which 149 Member Economies negotiate agreements and resolve disputes over trade issues.

   The WTO is also a powerful force in countering the currents of protectionism and discrimination which are responsible to a large extent for the economic hardship suffered by less wealthy and less well-endowed economies. And, ultimately, the WTO is a key component in the global effort to attain the United Nations' Millennium Goal of Development in tackling the scourge of poverty and hunger.

   Nor can I over-emphasise the importance of the WTO to Hong Kong. As a small, externally-oriented economy with no natural resources other than a magnificent deep water port, Hong Kong has relied on free trade and an entrepreneurial and hardworking population to transform this once sleepy fishing village into an international and regional business hub.

   So I urge you to take some time during the next few days, and after the conference if you can, to look around our great city. You will see why President Bill Clinton once described Hong Kong as Exhibit A in the case for global interdependence and its benefits.

   As a free trader, our support for the multilateral trading system is unconditional. And it goes back a long way. We became a separate Contracting Party to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in 1986. We were a founding Member of the WTO in 1995. Our Membership did not change after reunification in 1997. Indeed, Hong Kong's continued participation in the WTO, and in international trade agreements under the name "Hong Kong, China", is enshrined in the Basic Law, the constitution of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. We treasure the certainty, protection and benefits that the WTO brings to our economy and community.

   We offered to host this Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference because we recognized that it would become a key staging post to the successful conclusion of the multilateral trade negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda. We want to play our part in the collective effort to realize the ambitions of the Round. We regard the WTO Members' acceptance of our offer as a recognition of our contribution to the multilateral trading system, and an acknowledgement of our competence as a world city in handling whatever challenges that may arise from the Ministerial Conference.

  We in Hong Kong are determined to make this important event a success. Secretary John Tsang is committed to creating an environment of comfort for all delegates to conduct negotiations freely, frankly and constructively in the coming days. He has travelled the globe taking part in many of the key meetings which have paved the way for the negotiations that will take place over the next few days.

   Thousands of men and women in our community - civil servants, legislators, District Councillors, NGO members, business leaders, service providers, volunteers, and citizens of Hong Kong - have been working tirelessly since the WTO accepted our offer to host this Conference two years ago. We have a common objective: we want to stage a Conference that is well organized, transparent, inclusive, and above all, efficient. The fruits of this community-wide endeavour are now before you.

   Ladies and gentlemen, we are at an historic juncture. Trade liberalization and economic growth is a permanent goal for all of us as WTO Members. While I acknowledge that in some parts of the world this goal is seen as a threat rather than an opportunity, the negotiations under the Doha Development Agenda must press ahead. We must vigorously defend the integrity and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system.

   This Conference is a golden opportunity for us to demonstrate our collective resolve to improve the lives of peoples throughout the world through progressive trade liberalization. That is what we committed ourselves to do when the Round was launched four years ago in Doha.

   This week, all eyes are on Hong Kong. As host and Chair of the Conference, we will do our utmost to bring about a successful outcome. But we cannot do it ourselves. We are relying on your support and commitment to accomplish this mission. I am sure it will be forthcoming.

參考譯文：

          各位部長(zhǎng)、總干事拉米先生、常務(wù)理事會(huì)主席Mohamed大使、各位代表、各位嘉賓：

　　首先，熱烈歡迎各位蒞臨香港。中國(guó)香港得以主辦世界貿(mào)易組織第六次部長(zhǎng)級(jí)會(huì)議，深感榮幸。

　　這個(gè)星期，我們有一個(gè)非常難得的機(jī)會(huì)，共聚一堂，優(yōu)化現(xiàn)有的國(guó)際貿(mào)易環(huán)境；為全球各地更廣泛地創(chuàng)造財(cái)富；而最重要的，是幫助貧困地區(qū)數(shù)以億計(jì)的人民脫離貧窮。我很高興中國(guó)香港今天能牽頭肩負(fù)這項(xiàng)崇高任務(wù)。

　　世貿(mào)對(duì)全球極具重要性。世貿(mào)是處理全球貿(mào)易規(guī)則的唯一國(guó)際組織，它讓149個(gè)成員得以根據(jù)既定規(guī)則商討貿(mào)易協(xié)定，解決貿(mào)易紛爭(zhēng)。

　　保護(hù)主義和貿(mào)易歧視，往往導(dǎo)致較貧窮、較弱勢(shì)地區(qū)陷入經(jīng)濟(jì)困境，而世貿(mào)是對(duì)抗保護(hù)主義和貿(mào)易歧視的主要力量。世貿(mào)最終更是全球合力消除貧窮饑餓，達(dá)至聯(lián)合國(guó)千年發(fā)展目標(biāo)的力量。

　　世貿(mào)對(duì)香港的重要性不容置疑。香港地方細(xì)小，屬外向型經(jīng)濟(jì)體系，除了擁有一個(gè)優(yōu)良的深水港外，別無(wú)其他天然資源。全憑積極發(fā)展自由貿(mào)易，以及港人的奮勇拼搏、勤勉進(jìn)取，這個(gè)昔日的小漁村，才能蛻變成為今天的國(guó)際及區(qū)域商貿(mào)樞紐。

　　因此，我請(qǐng)各位在未來(lái)數(shù)天及在會(huì)議之後，抽點(diǎn)時(shí)間看看我們這個(gè)亞洲國(guó)際都會(huì)，這樣你們便會(huì)明白，為甚麼克林頓總統(tǒng)說，香港是全球互補(bǔ)互惠，益處無(wú)窮的明證。

　香港作為貿(mào)易自由的先驅(qū)，毫無(wú)保留地支持多邊貿(mào)易制度。早在一九八六年，香港成為關(guān)貿(mào)總協(xié)定的獨(dú)立締約地區(qū)，一九九五年香港成為世貿(mào)創(chuàng)辦成員之一。一九九七年回歸中國(guó)後，香港的成員身分絲毫沒有改變，繼續(xù)以「中國(guó)香港」名義參與世貿(mào)事務(wù)及簽訂國(guó)際貿(mào)易協(xié)定，這已一一寫入香港特別行政區(qū)的憲法《基本法》內(nèi)。我們十分珍視世貿(mào)為香港的經(jīng)濟(jì)和社會(huì)帶來(lái)的可靠環(huán)境、穩(wěn)妥保護(hù)等種種好處。

　　香港申請(qǐng)主辦世貿(mào)第六次部長(zhǎng)級(jí)會(huì)議，是因?yàn)槲覀兩钪�，這次會(huì)議對(duì)多哈發(fā)展議程的多邊貿(mào)易談判能否取得圓滿結(jié)果，起?關(guān)鍵作用。香港希望能夠盡一分力，與各國(guó)合力實(shí)現(xiàn)這回合的理想目標(biāo)。世貿(mào)成員接納我們的主辦申請(qǐng)，顯示他們認(rèn)同香港對(duì)多邊貿(mào)易制度的貢獻(xiàn)，并確信香港這個(gè)國(guó)際都會(huì)具備能力，能夠處理部長(zhǎng)級(jí)會(huì)議帶來(lái)種種的挑戰(zhàn)。

　　全港市民同心合力，決心把這個(gè)盛會(huì)辦好。曾俊華局長(zhǎng)全力創(chuàng)造有利環(huán)境，讓各地代表未來(lái)數(shù)天能夠在自由坦誠(chéng)的氣氛下，進(jìn)行有建設(shè)性的談判。他跑遍世界各地出席多個(gè)重要會(huì)議，為未來(lái)數(shù)天的談判作充分準(zhǔn)備。

　　自從世貿(mào)兩年前接納香港為這次會(huì)議的主辦城市後，香港社會(huì)各界人士包括公務(wù)員、立法會(huì)議員、區(qū)議員、非政府組織成員、商界領(lǐng)袖、服務(wù)供應(yīng)商、志愿工作者以至普羅市民，就一直努力不懈，矢志達(dá)到一個(gè)共同目標(biāo)，就是把會(huì)議辦得井然有序，讓會(huì)議可以在公開、包容的氣氛下有效率地進(jìn)行。香港全體市民的努力成果，今天就開始呈現(xiàn)在各位眼前。

　　各位，我們正處?kù)稓v史時(shí)刻。自由貿(mào)易和經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展，是我們作為世貿(mào)成員的恒常目標(biāo)。我知道，世界有些地方視這目標(biāo)為威脅多於機(jī)遇，但我們必須全力推進(jìn)多哈發(fā)展議程的貿(mào)易談判。我們必須奮力確保多邊貿(mào)易制度保持健全及具成效。

　　這個(gè)會(huì)議提供了一個(gè)黃金機(jī)會(huì)，讓我們一同展示決心，通過進(jìn)一步的貿(mào)易自由化，繼續(xù)改善各地人民的生活。這是四年前我們展開多哈回合談判時(shí)，立意要達(dá)到的工作目標(biāo)。

　　這個(gè)星期，全球注視香港。作為主辦城市，也是會(huì)議主席，我們會(huì)竭盡所能爭(zhēng)取美滿成果。但香港不能獨(dú)力完成這項(xiàng)使命，必須得到各位的支持和承擔(dān)才能達(dá)到目標(biāo)。我深信大家會(huì)樂於為此給予支持和作出承擔(dān)。

　　多謝各位。