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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation:
Representatives of the 25-member economies of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC) will meet in Hong Kong for the 14th PECC General Meeting (PECC XIV), which will take place from November 28 to 30.
"This will be PECC's most important biennial event," said Dr William Fung, PECC Chair and Chairman of Hong Kong Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation, at a press conference announcing details of PECC XIV today (August 1), "and it will showcase what PECC has achieved in the past two years under our chairmanship, which will come to an end on November 30."
Hong Kong formally took up the chairmanship of PECC in October 1999. As Chair, Hong Kong will be hosting PECC XIV at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre before the end of its two-year term.
"We expect to attract about 1 000 participants, roughly 700 from the Pacific region and 300 local guests," he added. "The meeting will also bring together high-level policy makers, business leaders and top scholars from around the world."
The theme of PECC XIV is "Managing Globalisation in the 21st Century". It will examine the opportunities and challenges of globalisation, and how globalisation can best be managed for the benefit of all.
Other key issues for discussion include a New Round of WTO talks, China's accession to the WTO, the new financial markets, corporate governance, and community building.
"Madam Wu Yi, State Councillor, will make a keynote luncheon address on 'China: The New Face After Joining the WTO' on November 28, and Mr Tung Chee Hwa, the Chief Executive, will officiate and make a keynote speech at the opening ceremony," Dr Fung said.
"We are also honoured to have Mr Fidel V. Ramos, Former President, the Philippines; Mr Michel Rocard, Former Prime Minister, France; Y.B. Dato' Seri Rafidah Aziz, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia; Mr Jim Sutton, Minister for Trade Negotiation, New Zealand; Mr Guillermo Fernandez de Soto, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Colombia; Mr Mike Moore, Director General, WTO; and Amb. Charlene Barshefsky, Former US Trade Representative, to speak at PECC XIV."
Locally, Mr Joseph Yam, Chief Executive, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority; Mr Chau Tak Hay, Secretary for Commerce and Industry; Mr Andrew Sheng, Chairman, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission; Dr Victor Fung, Chairman, Airport Authority Hong Kong; and Chairman, Li & Fung Ltd.; and Prof Edward Chen, Coordinator, PECC Trade Policy Forum; and President, Lingnan University, will speak at different plenary sessions.
Other world-renowned speakers include Mr Yotaro Kobayashi, Chairman of the Board, Fuji Xerox Co. Ltd.; Mr Hubert Neiss, Chairman, Deutsche Bank Asia; Mr Robert Pozen, Vice Chairman, Fidelity Investments; Dr Fred Bergsten, Director, Institute for International Economics; and Prof Paul R. Krugman, Professor, Princeton University.
"With its unique tripartite set-up comprising representatives from the business, government and the academia, PECC is best positioned to provide an open forum for developing ideas and putting forward suggestions on critical policy issues relating to globalisation," Dr Fung said.
"We also hope that during their stay in Hong Kong, participants will be able to see for themselves the vibrancy of Hong Kong, our importance as an international financial centre and as a communication hub."
"With China's imminent accession to the WTO, the meeting will also provide a timely occasion to review the opportunities and challenges for the Mainland, for Hong Kong, and for the rest of the trading community," he added.
PECC is a non-governmental organisation established in 1980 with the purpose of developing closer cooperation on trade and economic policy issues among economies in the region.
At present, it has a total of 25 member committees representing the economies of Australia; Brunei Darussalam; Canada; Chile; China; Colombia; Ecuador; Hong Kong, China; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Peru; the Philippines; Russia; Singapore; Chinese Taipei; Thailand; the United States; Viet Nam and the Pacific Islands Forum. France (Pacific Territories) and Mongolia are associate members.
The two institutional members are the Pacific Trade and Development Conference and Pacific Basin Economic Council.
The 14th PECC General Meeting will be preceded by PECC Coordinating Group and Standing Committee meetings on November 26 and 27 which will discuss the work programme and policy issues of PECC respectively.
Details and the latest programme of the 14th PECC General Meeting are available on the website at http://www.peccxiv.org.
Wednesday, August 1, 2001
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