More than 100 Chinese entrepreneurs joined with top business leaders from the rest of the world in the Japanese city of Yokohama on Friday for the only international forum that offers interaction with leaders of the most powerful nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The event this year is held under the theme of "Asia-Pacific as the Driving Force for Global Growth: Seeking Prosperity after Crisis."

Incepted in 1996, the annual APEC CEO Summit is the biggest event of the business community of the region.

The summit was officially recognized as a sideline event of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and gained its current name at the leaders' meeting in Auckland in 1999.

Aside from the CEOs, the event usually draws presence of some of the presidents and prime ministers of the APEC member economies. It thus provides opportunities for business leaders in the Asia- Pacific to hear presentations from and to engage in discussions with APEC economic leaders, policy makers, academia and other CEOs on the most critical economic and business issues facing the region.