The 16th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) kicks off Saturday in the Peruvian capital of Lima under the theme of "A new commitment to Asia-Pacific Development."
The following are some key facts about this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting:
-- Who: Attending are leaders from 21 APEC member economies: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, China's Hong Kong SAR, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
The leaders include Chinese President Hu Jintao, U.S. President George W. Bush, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso. Peruvian President Alan Garcia is the host for this year's summit.
-- What: The 16th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting. Since its inception in 1989 in response to growing interdependence among Asia-Pacific economies, APEC has become the premier regional forum for promoting open trade and practical economic and technical cooperation among Asia-Pacific economies.
Over the years, it 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, 56 percent of world GDP and nearly half of world trade.
-- Where: Lima, capital and the largest city of Peru, is located in the valleys of the Chillon, Rimac and Lurin rivers on a coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
-- When: The meeting is being held on Nov. 22-23, following the Ministerial Meeting on Nov. 19-20 and the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting on Nov. 16-17.
(Xinhua News Agency November 22, 2008)
