Premier Meets ABAC and APEC China Forum Participants

Chinese Premier Meets ABAC and APEC China Forum Participants

Premier Zhu Rongji met Monday with participants in the second meeting of the Business Advisory Council (ABAC) under the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and the APEC 2000 China Forum.

Zhu said that China attaches great importance to economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, as illustrated by the opening of the meeting and the forum.

The achievements scored by the ABAC and the APEC in liberalizing trade and investment and economic and technological cooperation are helpful for promoting regional economic cooperation, according to Zhu.

Foreign business people will have more opportunities in China with the quickening of the process of China's entry into the World Trade Organization, and China's increasing participation in international trade and economic activities, Zhu noted.

He encouraged the ABAC entrepreneurs to present more good suggestions to the leaders in the region, so as to contribute to the reduction of the economic gap between developed and developing members of the APEC, and to the common prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region and the world at large.

Zhu also briefed the guests on China's economic situation.

The ABAC chairman for 2000, Timothy Ong of Brunei, said he was impressed by the economic progress in China, and noted that the results of the meeting will be submitted to the APEC annual meeting to be held in Brunei this year.