China will strive to solve the challenges confronting the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) in its efforts to make this year's Shanghai forum a success, said officials in Beijing.
"The world has very high expectations on APEC 2001 in Shanghai and China will invest great human and material resources to ensure its success," said He Ning, a senior official with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.
He made the remarks at the Asia-Pacific Conference, a two-day meeting jointly hosted by the Japan Economic Foundation and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' APEC Policy Research Center.
The conference is the overture to a series of gatherings culminating in the formal summit of APEC's 21 state and regional heads in late October in Shanghai.
The first gathering of APEC senior officials will be held in Beijing on February 11-19 to make preparations for the October event, according to Foreign Ministry official Wu Hailong at the seminar.
Scholars from several APEC member countries, including Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Indonesia, Japan, ROK and the United States, made presentations last Friday at the seminar, which covered APEC's historical achievements, current challenges, internal reforms and expectations for this year's APEC Shanghai forum.
The slowdown of the US economy poses a serious test to this year's APEC summit, scholars said.
APEC was established in 1989 to promote free and open trade and investment. There are now 21 members.
(China Daily 02/03/2001)
