China said Monday it hopes to promote sound and fast economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, ahead of President Hu Jintao's attendance at the 18th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

The APEC summit, scheduled for Nov. 13-14 in Japan's second largest city of Yokohama, will focus on the changes needed to tackle the financial crisis and how they should be implemented, as well as discussing further integration of the regional economy.

While briefing the press on the President Hu's participation at the summit, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin said China hopes to cooperate with other nations to ensure economic balance in the region.

China hopes leaders at the APEC summit pledge to oppose trade protectionism while expressing support for the Doha Round of negotiations, Liu said.

At its first ministerial meeting in 1989 in Canberra, Australia, APEC expressed the aim to facilitate economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region among its 21 members that represent around 50 percent the world GDP and 40 percent of the world's population.