Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau said Hong Kong's entry into the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership could inject fresh impetus into advancing the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) agenda. "We welcome the establishment of the Accession Working Group for Hong Kong in September this year, and hope that our accession could inject fresh impetus into advancing the FTAAP agenda," he said during a virtual meeting at the 37th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Ministerial Meeting held on Tuesday. Yau said that enhancing economic integration has been the core objective of Apec, and that one of the directions is to continue to advance the FTAAP. He called on member economies to continue to strengthen connectivity in various areas, enabling the efficient flow of goods, services, capital and people, while narrowing development gaps and creating opportunities for all sectors across the region. Yau also stressed that the multilateral trading system must remain the foundation of regional integration and international trade, highlighting the importance of enhancing co-operation to deal with the seismic changes in the trade landscape. Edited by Edmond Fong
Read full articleFormer teacher and celebrated organist Alan Caradus taught at several high-profile private schools and mentored young musicians.
The Herald’s chief investigative reporter will give evidence on Wednesday about her interviews with men who later became complainants in Jones’ criminal trial.
Alan Caradus allegedly raped a boy in a Sydney park
Firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene after receiving a triple-zero call from a motorist.
Speaking from overseas, the prime minister also lashed out at the Coalition for not passing Labor’s existing savings measures.
The deal will slash red tape on food exports to the EU including lifting an effective ban on the sale of British sausages, burgers and shellfish.
The Conservative leader said foreign workers who fail to make a 'net contribution' to the country will lose so-called settled status, also known as 'indefinite leave to remain'.
Roy Cooper, a Democrat and former North Carolina governor, had enjoyed a strong lead over his opponent, Michael Whatley, for much of the campaign.
Democrats scored their first major midterm victory on Tuesday as former governor Roy Cooper flipped North Carolina.
The Tibetan Plateau, home to the world’s largest expanse of alpine permafrost, is warming at about twice the global average but, counter-intuitively,researchers have found that ice in parts of the Tibet autonomous region is actually thickening. A team from Peking University found that shallow ground ice has unexpectedly increased over the past 20 years, affecting more than a third of the plateau’s permafrost, a phenomenon driven largely by natural climate factors. The authors noted that the...
Charities that lobbied the Home Office to water down tougher immigration rules received more than £1billion in taxpayer cash, it can be revealed.
The tail of the doomed Learjet that nosedived into a street in Greenacres, Florida, near West Palm Beach, was recovered miles away from the crash site, investigators have revealed.