Hosting the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) demonstrated Hong Kong's concerns for the poorest citizens in the world and enhanced its reputation as Asia's world city, a senior official of Hong Kong said Friday.

Speaking at a luncheon organized by the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, John Tsang admitted that Hong Kong recognized the risks associated with the hosting of the conference, which lasted a whole week in December with several anti-WTO demonstrations.

However, as a supporter of free trade and the WTO, Hong Kong was determined to take its responsibilities as a world citizen in support of the multilateral trading system.

"We were determined to demonstrate our competence as Asia's world city by tackling whatever challenges the conference threw up, both inside and outside the venue," said Tsang, the host for the conference.

He noted that the Hong Kong Conference was an important milestone on the way to complete the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) which aimed to level the playing field of world trade for developing countries, and for the poorer economies which still struggle to provide more than survival for millions of their citizens.

(Xinhua News Agency January 7, 2006)