41.   Both domestic and overseas partners can make their investment using either cash or assets, the paper said.

42.   It said the negotiations were difficult because the foreign partners were making high profits from gas sales, mostly to Japan.

43.   Robinson said the partners would make their decision later this year.

44.   The official said that unless its major partners made comparable proposals, the United States will withdraw its offer of unrestricted market accesss to foreign telecommunications firms.