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Preparation for APEC Meetings Progressing Well: Official
Preparations for this year's meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) are progressing well, said a senior Chinese official Friday.
In an interview with Xinhua, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Guangya said that the APEC first Senior Officials Meeting (SOM I) is to be held in Beijing February 12-13.
He said that the meeting will officially start the annual APEC process, set the tone and the direction of the APEC work, and specifically prepare for the informal summit and the ministerial meetings.
Wang, chairman of the SOM, said that APEC members will discuss the economic situation in the region, globalization, and the new economy at the upcoming meeting. He said that other issues, such as promoting economic and technological cooperation, capacity building, and human resources, will also be reviewed.
"China, by hosting this year's APEC meetings, expects to promote its economic cooperation with other members and work with other members to deal with the challenges brought by globalization and the new economy," Wang said.
The meetings will also provide a good opportunity for China to participate more in the regional economic cooperation and further push forward China's reforms and opening-up drive, he said.
"The Chinese government attaches great importance to hosting the meetings," the vice-foreign minister said. He added that the central government has established a leading group, headed by Vice- Premier Qian Qichen, in charge of the preparatory work. (more)
The theme for this year's APEC work, "Meeting New Challenges in the New Century, Achieving Common Prosperity through Participation and Cooperation," was proposed by Chinese President Jiang Zemin at last year's informal summit in Brunei, Wang said.
He said that this year's APEC meetings will focus on three topics, namely the capacity building, promoting trade and investment and facilitating the establishment of a more reasonable multilateral trading system, and creating a more favorable environment for the sustainable economic development in the Asia- Pacific region.`
"In deciding on the main topics, we had to take into consideration the latest developments in the world and the region, the reality of the situations in the region, the diversity of the members, the principle of seeking consensus and common interests, as well as the common aspiration of all members," Wang said.
The APEC includes Economic Leaders' Meetings, Ministerial Meetings, Senior Officials' meetings, Secretariat, Committees and Groups and Advisory Council. Its Secretariat is located in Singapore.
The APEC, founded in 1989, has 21 members -- Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile (1994), China (1991), Chinese Hong Kong (1991), Chinese Taipei (1991), Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico (1993), New Zealand, Papua New Guinea (1993), Peru (1998), the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Russia (1998), Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam (1998).
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