The three-day 2001 APEC CEO Meeting begins in Shanghai on the morning of October 18. The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade with a membership of 70,000 enterprises, the China International Chamber of Commerce chairs this grand meeting in the capacity as the host for the first time. On the eve of the meeting, reporters Qu Zhehan and Dai Lan of People's Daily had an interview with Yu Xiaosong, chairman of the Council, discussing the following issues.

Reporter: The APEC CEO meeting is an important meeting of industrialists and businessmen in the series of APEC conferences. The theme of the current CEO meeting is "New Century, New Economy: Developing Amid Globalization". Chairman Yu, I would like to ask why this theme is set for the CEO meeting. Under the current international and domestic economic situation, what are the main tasks of the current CEO meeting?

Yu Xiaosong: In the new century, new economy and globalization have become the trend of the time which is affecting the methods of people's work and thinking, affecting enterprise production, technological and organizational forms and influencing the future of economic growth and sustainable development. New economy and globalization have provided an opportunity for some countries and regions which were originally less developed economically, making it possible for them to have more easy access to information and gain new scientific and technological achievements, and even to bring about a kind of transcendental and leaping economic development. But, on the other hand, we should be aware that so far, only some countries, especially developed ones, have benefited from globalization and new economy, there are still many countries, especially poverty-stricken ones, which have not been benefited therefrom. Chinese commercial circle and government both hope that globalization and new economy can help everybody seize the opportunity, so that the situation featuring uneven world economic development and the widening gaps between the poor and the rich can be improved somewhat. That's why we set the theme of this meeting as "New Century, New Economy: Developing Amid Globalization".

We have noticed that over the past decade and more, the new economy has injected a lot of fresh vigor into the Asia-Pacific economy, however, along with the acceleration of the globalization process, various challenges and even risks will emerge. For this reason, enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region need to actively adjust their own development strategy. The tasks of the current CEO meeting are: Letting the industrial and commercial circle, from the angle of enterprises, have extensive exchanges of opinions and views, jointly explore ways for the development of enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region and reach a clearer consensus: Strengthening cooperation while engaging in competition, expanding trade and investment, jointly participating in and seeking common prosperity, enhancing the overall competitiveness of the economies of this region, so as to better able to cope with both the opportunities and challenges brought about by new economy and economic globalization.

Reporter: The CEO meeting has always been the grand meeting that gathers together elite of the commercial circle. Chairman Yu, please say something about the entry of names of entrepreneurs for participating in this year's CEO meeting.

Yu Xiaosong: For the CEO meeting, we have invited accomplished enterprise CEO, economists and government ministers to give speeches, the theme develops around the issue of "globalization, new economy and search of common development", an issue to the great concern of the economic and political circles in today's world. Judged by the signing up situation, the level of representatives is fairly high, including winners of Nobel, top 500 enterprises appraised by the magazine Fortune, furthermore, almost all important enterprises, representatives of the various member economies, have entered their names for attending the meeting. Attending the meeting are 500 big companies and big enterprises, including 400 overseas enterprises, such as the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, the US Citibank and Japanese Toshiba Company. More than 80 Chinese enterprises attend the meeting, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and the China Petrochemical Group Corporation. Altogether over 80 Chinese and foreign representative will speak at the meeting.

In addition to Chinese President Jiang Zemin, we have invited leaders of eight economies to give their speeches at the meeting. The current CEO meeting, attended by the most leaders, reflects the attention and concern given by leaders of various economies to the Shanghai Meeting.

Reporter: Chairman Yu, please say something about China's special subject.

Yu Xiaosong: Currently, the world economic growth has slowed down, whereas only China's economy is thriving, continuing its sustained, rapid development. In addition, China is going to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). All these constitute the reason why the business circles in the Asia-Pacific region cast their eyes on the Chinese market. Chinese President Jiang Zemin has, since 1996, spoken each time at the CEO meeting, in which he expounded China's views on the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region and introduced to the participants the situation about China's opening to the outside world and its economic development, receiving favorable comments from industrial and commercial circles.

For this meeting, we will invite Zeng Peiyan, minister of the State Development Planning Commission, to the meeting and make a speech on the situation regarding China's "10th Five-year Plan" and its market economic development, invite Xu Guanhua, minister of science and technology, to deliver a speech on China's strategy for science and technology development in the 21st century; invite Sichuan Provincial Governor Zhang Zhongwei to make a speech on the plan for the development of China's western region and its policy on foreign capital. Besides, we have invited the chief executives of the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions to introduce the "one country, two systems" principle and the situation regarding the development of Hong Kong and Macao after their return to the embrace of the motherland. We hope that their speeches will enable the various representatives to have a clear understanding of the questions concerning what opportunities China's development in the 21st century, its "10th Five-year Plan and its plan for the development of the western region will bring to the international business circles.

(People's Daily 10/18/2001)