Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in Japan Friday for the 18th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which is slated for Saturday and Sunday in Yokohama.

 

Hu and his wife, Liu Yongqing, were welcomed by senior officials from the Japanese Foreign Ministry at Haneda airport.

 

Chief Executive Donald Tsang of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Chinese Ambassador to Japan Cheng Yonghua were also present at the airport to greet Hu.

 

President Hu, who flew into Tokyo from Seoul after attending the fifth summit of the Group of 20 (G20), was traveling by car to Yokohama.

 

With the theme of "Change and Action," this year's Economic Leaders' Meeting will focus on the regional economic integration, a growth strategy for the Asia-Pacific region, human security, the economic and technical cooperation, and the assessment of achievement of Bogor Goals by APEC economies, according to the meeting agenda.

 

The Bogor Goals call for free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific by 2010 for industrialized economies and by 2020 for developing economies. These goals were adopted by leaders at their 1994 meeting in Bogor, Indonesia.

 

President Hu will speak at the meeting to present China's view on these issues, Chinese officials said.

 

Before the Economic Leaders' Meeting, the Chinese president will deliver a speech at the APEC CEO Summit, Chinese officials said.

 

APEC is the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Since its birth in 1989, APEC has grown to encompass 21 members spanning four continents, and represents the most economically dynamic region in the world, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the world's population, around 50 percent of world GDP and about 44 percent of world trade.

 

APEC's 21 member economies are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, China's Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.