英国贸工部2003英文E-C.doc

三、英国贸工部司长德蕾琦在第五届亚欧经济部长会议上的讲话（2003） ASEM ECONOMIC Co-operation: Priorities and Methodology Honoured Ministers, Respected members of the government and business communities, Ladies and gentlemen: I am honoured to have been asked to speak today, not only on behalf of the UK but in effect on behalf of all the Member States of the EU, about our views on the ASEM process – its priorities and methodology. I should start by thanking the Chinese Government as our host in this well organized event and the municipality of Dalian for its splendid hospitality. ASEM provides a unique opportunity for two of the world’s most important trading blocs to engage together in vital international economic dialogue. And more than that – to try to find ways of expanding our mutual trade and investment. All of us – as Mayor Xia has just stressed – know the value of an increasingly liberal trading environment. Dismantling unnecessary rules and regulations so as to promote wealth creation for the betterment of all our citizens. Of course it is vital that an appropriate framework of national and international rules. But these need to be re-examined constantly to see either what more might need to be introduced or alternatively amended or removed as our economies develop. The 25 countries of ASEM form a significant proportion of the countries of the world – about 15% - but rather more than that in terms of economic weight. The fact that our governments and important business representatives are represented here today in Dalian in such numbers is a testimony to the value that all of us place upon the ASEM dialogue. First a few words about international economic dialogue. INTERNATIONAL means between nations. For those of us in the EU, we have had nearly 50 years of increasingly close co-operation as we work together on matters relating to trade and investment. Not just between the growing number of EU countries, but also in the way we face the rest of the world. We began by gradually harmonizing