[asia-apec 1731] APEC SOM - Planning APEC Agenda for 2001

[APEC Monitoring Group]

APEC Senior Officials Meet in Beijing to Plan 2001 Agenda
BEIJING, Feb 12, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Asian Pacific Economic 
Cooperation (APEC) officials began meeting in Beijing Monday to set an 
annual agenda culminating in an informal leadership summit in Shanghai in 
October.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Guangya opened the meeting with an 
outline of the 2001 APEC theme: "Achieving Common Prosperity through 
Participation and Cooperation."
Top of the agenda will be pushing forward electronic commerce among the 
21-member nations, while reviving momentum on trade and investment 
liberalization will also remain an APEC concern, Wang said.
"We must bear in mind that APEC was not born of homogeneity amongst the 
leadership," Wang said.
Some 260 government officials, business representatives and academics are 
taking part in the meeting. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse)