Chinese President Hu Jintao is expected to put forward suggestions on deepening regional co-operation and offer the Chinese Government's views on the key tasks of APEC and the prospects ahead.

The APEC informal meeting is gaining increasing importance as the venue where the leaders of its members talk about major issues that have great influence on regional and global development.

APEC has 21 members from Asia, the South Pacific, Latin America and North America, including the United States, the biggest economy in the world, and China, the largest developing country. The organization claims 45 per cent of the world's population, 60 per cent of global GNP (gross national product) and 46 per cent of the world's total trade volume.

More than three-quarters of China's foreign trade is conducted with APEC members. And more than 80 per cent of foreign direct investment flowing into the country is from the Asia-Pacific region. Ever since the organization was founded in 1989, China has been actively involved in all APEC undertakings, following the principles of enhancing political mutual trust and expanding co-operation that benefits all parties.

It is through APEC that the country's connections with other members, which are based on effective mechanisms, have been consolidated.

On the other hand, China, thanks to its fast growing economy, provides APEC members with large quantities of commodities as well as a vast market with huge potential. In this sense, the Chinese economy has become another locomotive powering the economic development in the Asia-Pacific region.

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