Hong Kong's Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology John Tsang said on Friday he is optimistic about the upcoming Sixth Ministerial Conference to be held in Hong Kong this December though the negotiating picture is still rather cloudy.

Freshly returned from a series of WTO meetings in Geneva, Tsang delivered an upbeat luncheon address at the Foreign Correspondents' Club on Friday.

He said reaching a consensus in agriculture, industrial products and services at the ministerial conference "is important for the future of world trade. It is important for tens of millions of the world's poorest people."

It is also important for Hong Kong, not just in its narrow self-interest in some of the issues under negotiation, but in the wider context of its status as an icon of free trade, he added.

He said many people thought it was "pretty brave" of Hong Kong to take on the responsibility of organizing and hosting the Sixth WTO Ministerial Conference, but the organizing team does not look at it this way.

"We think we are more than capable of handling what happens both inside and outside the Convention Center," Tsang said.

"Our agenda is to make Hong Kong safe for the delegates, the NGOs, the press, the peaceful protesters and our own community who want to go about their daily business. Our police are well equipped and trained to deal with those who have mayhem in mind," he added. 

(Xinhua News Agency November 12, 2005)