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Xi to attend Bali APEC Summit
September 28, 2013, 5:01 pm

Security is being beefed up in preparation for the APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia October 2-8 [Xinhua]

Security is being beefed up in preparation for the APEC Summit in Bali, Indonesia October 2-8 [Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Bali, Indonesia, next week and conclude with a state visit to Malaysia, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing announced on Sunday.

Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement that President Xi was invited by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Malaysian Supreme Head of State Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, respectively.

China’s role in APEC has grown considerably since it joined the organisation in 1991. Some 60 per cent of China’s current foreign trade is with fellow APEC member economies, while at least 60 per cent of its foreign direct investment comes from within the 21-member grouping.

This year’s APEC summit is likely to focus on world trade, trade barriers, and the relationship between developed and least developed nations.

The summit will be attended by 14 heads of state, including US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Bali will also host the CEO Summit, which will be attented by 1,200 chief executive officers of major multinational companies on the sidelines of the APEC conference.

Indonesia has said that it will urge fellow APEC members during the October 2-8 Summit to consolidate their efforts to present a united platform at the 9th World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Meeting also hosted in Bali in December.

Indonesian Deputy Trade Minister Bayu Khrisnamurti said that APEC countries must “deliver a positive message for the upcoming WTO round”.

Source: Agencies