Shanghai Meetings A "Milestone" for APEC: Chinese OfficialA senior Chinese official has described the ongoing serial APEC meetings as a " milestone" in the history of APEC development. The APEC meetings, inaugurated in Shanghai Monday by holding the Informal Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM), "is of 'milestone' significance in terms of their role in promoting the regional economic prosperity," said Wang Guangya, China's vice-minister of foreign affairs and chair of the APEC SOM, at a press conference Monday evening.The meetings will help "lay a solid foundation for further progress, not only this year but also in the coming years, within the framework of APEC's grand goals" set forth in Bogor, Wang explained. The APEC meetings held in Seattle, the United States, in 1993, and Bogor of Indonesia, in 1994, could also be termed as "milestones" in APEC history, the vice-minister said. APEC has played an important role in strengthening economic cooperation among the member economies since it was initiated in 1989, he noted. This year, the first of the new century, the region has faced with both opportunities and challenges, it is even more important for the member economies to enhance their cooperation, especially at a time when some of the members are encountering an economic slow-down. As the host country, China hopes the serial meetings could effect as a strong impetus to the development of APEC in the future, he said. |
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