Your Excellencies Distinguished Ministers, Director-General Mr. Lamy, Chair of the General Council, Your Excellency Ambassador Mohamed, Honourable Delegates and Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all, I wish to extend to you 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 Organization.
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 emphasize 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 rule-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-emphasize 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, at 1986. We were a founding Member of the WTO in 1995. Our Membership did not change after the reunification in 1997. Indeed, Hong Kong’s continued participation in the WTO, and in an international trade agreement 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 our 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 ambition 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 Councilors, NGO members, business leaders, service providers, volunteers, and the common citizen 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 the 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 people 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’m sure it will be forthcoming.
Thank you!
(Full text of the remarks by Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR at the 6thWTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong on December 13, 2005, as transcribed)
参考译文：
各位部长阁下、总干事拉米先生、常务理事会主席穆罕默得大使、各位代表、各位嘉宾、女士们、先生们：
首先，热烈欢迎各位莅临香港。中国香港得以主办世界贸易组织第六次部长级会议，深感荣幸。
这个星期，我们有一个非常难得的机会，共聚一堂，优化现有的国际贸易环境；为全球各地更广泛地创造财富；而最重要的，是帮助贫困地区数以亿计的人民脱离贫穷。我很高兴中国香港今天能牵头肩负这项崇高任务。
世贸对全球极具重要性。世贸是处理全球贸易规则的唯一国际组织，它让149个成员得以根据既定规则商讨贸易协定，解决贸易纷争。
世贸是对抗保护主义和贸易歧视的主要力量。而保护主义和贸易歧视，往往导致较贫穷、较弱势地区陷入经济困境。世贸最终更是全球合力消除贫穷饥饿，达至联合国千年发展目标的力量。
世贸对香港的重要性不容置疑。香港地方狭小，属外向型经济体系，除了拥有一个优良的深水港外，别无其他天然资源。全凭积极发展自由贸易，以及港人的奋勇拼搏、勤勉进取，这个昔日沉睡的小渔村，才能蜕变成为今天的国际及区域商贸枢纽。
因此，我请各位在未来数天及在会议之后，抽点时间看看我们这个亚洲国际都会，这样你们便会明白，为什么克林顿总统说，香港是全球相互依存，互惠互益的明证。
香港作为贸易自由的先驱，毫无保留地支持多边贸易制度。早在1986年，香港成为关贸总协定的独立缔约地区，1995年香港成为世贸创办成员之一。1997年回归中国后，香港的成员身份丝毫没有改变，继续以“中国香港”名义参与世贸事务及签订国际贸易协定，这已一一写入香港特别行政区的宪法《基本法》内。我们十分珍视世贸为香港的经济和社会带来的可靠环境、稳妥保护等种种好处。
香港申请主办世贸第六次部长级会议，是因为我们深知，这次会议对多哈发展议程的多边贸易谈判能否取得圆满结果，起着关键作用。香港希望能够尽一分力，与各国合力实现这回合的理想目标。世贸成员接纳我们的主办申请，显示他们认同香港对多边贸易制度的贡献，并确信香港这个国际都会具备能力，能够处理部长级会议带来种种的挑战。
全港市民同心合力，决心把这个盛会办好。曾俊华司长全力创造有利环境，让各地代表未来数天能够在自由坦诚的气氛下，进行有建设性的谈判。他跑遍世界各地出席多个重要会议，为未来数天的谈判作充分准备。
自从世贸两年前接纳香港为这次会议的主办城市后，香港社会各界人士包括公务员、立法会议员、区议员、非政府组织成员、商界领袖、服务供应商、志愿工作者以至普罗市民，就一直努力不懈，矢志达到一个共同目标，就是把会议办得井然有序，让会议可以在公开、包容的气氛下有效率地进行。香港全体市民的努力成果，今天就开始呈现在各位眼前。
各位，我们正处于历史时刻。自由贸易和经济发展，是我们作为世贸成员的恒常目标。我知道，世界有些地方视这目标为威胁多于机遇，但我们必须全力推进多哈发展议程的贸易谈判。我们必须奋力确保多边贸易制度保持健全及具成效。
这个会议提供了一个黄金机会，让我们一同展示决心，通过进一步的贸易自由化，继续改善各地人民的生活。这是四年前我们展开多哈回合谈判时，立意要达到的工作目标。
这个星期，全球注视香港。作为主办城市，也是会议主席，我们会竭尽所能争取美满成果。但香港不能独力完成这项使命，必须得到各位的支持和承担才能达到目标。我深信大家会乐于为此给予支持和作出承担。
多谢各位！
（2005年12月13日，香港特别行政区行政长官曾荫权在WTO第六届部长级会议上的讲话，全文，根据录音材料整理）
