APEC summit to focus on 'shaping the future'

The 22nd informal leaders' meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to be held in Beijing next year will be themed "Shaping the Future through Asia-Pacific Partnership," the organizers said here Tuesday. The main topics of the summit will include advancing regional economic integration, promoting innovative development, economic reform and growth, and strengthening comprehensive connectivity and infrastructure development, according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry press release. With 21 member economies, the APEC is the most influential economic cooperation mechanism in the Asia-Pacific region. The 2014 APEC summit will be the second of its kind hosted by China.Shanghai hosted the APEC summit in 2001. Addressing the APEC 2014 Informal Senior Officials Meeting in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China hopes APEC members will jointly deal with challenges and seek long-term development of the Asia-Pacific region by building a closer partnership across the Pacific. China will use the APEC meetings as an opportunity to promote long-term development, progress and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region, he said. A series of meetings, including the leaders' meeting, will be held in China in 2014.