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APEC Meetings Commence amid Tight Security Measures
The high-profile serial meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) began Monday with tight security.
The APEC Informal Senior Officials' Meeting (ISOM), which is to finalize arrangements and documents for a summit gathering of the leaders of APEC economies and APEC ministerial meetings, opened today with police and plainclothes men patrolling the streets nearby.
Journalists had to queue up for security checks to enter the International Convention Center, the venue of the senior officials' meeting. They were lucky compared with dozens of their colleagues who were stopped at nearby crossroads because they were late for applying for media overpasses.
The ISOM began at 9 am, but reporters were told to arrive at the security check point at the media center at around 6:00. Besides all the usual security checks and X-ray examination of bags and equipment, journalists were asked to play their tape recorders, shut down and reopen mobile phones and press the shutter button of cameras.
A Chinese reporter said that his colleague, when passing through this security check Sunday, was asked to drink the cup of Coca Cola he brought with him to see that it was not liquid bomb.
After a long wait, reporters were bused to the convention center about one hundred meters away. They went through the same checks again. In addition, they had their identity confirmed by being asked to hold their media passes in front of a display screen.
And when they returned to the media center to release stories and photos, they were checked for the third time.
Staff workers of the APEC meetings were scrutinized the same way every time they entered a building. But many who were questioned on the inconveniences showed a smile of understanding.
"The meetings will be the highest-level gathering of so many world leaders and security should receive top priority," said Sun Kang, a 30-year-old security guard.
Sun arrived at his post at 5:00 this morning.
Yang Guoqiang, an official with the preparatory office of the Shanghai APEC meetings, said "Shanghai is a safe place." And Zhang Qiyue, spokeswoman of China's Foreign Ministry, said that China " is fully capable of ensuring the safety of every participant" in the APEC meetings.
The local police department said that more than 10,000 security guards have been stationed at important conference venues and hotels for the meetings, while security has been strengthened for Shanghai's air space and waters.
A mother who was taking pictures for her 5-year-old daughter near the media center said today's meeting has not caused much inconvenience to the local people.
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