First APEC 2001 Meetings In China

The first APEC meetings for 2001 are to be held this month in Beijing, People's Republic of China as follows. These will be the first of a series of meetings to be hosted by China during its term as APEC Chair for 2001.

APEC Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM 1)

The first APEC Senior Officials' Meeting for 2001 and associated meetings will be held in Beijing from 11-19 February 2001.

The first Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM I) on 12-13 February, provides overall coordination and direction. Its task is to implement the directions agreed by Leaders and Ministers in Brunei Darussalam in November 2000. The meeting will make recommendations to Foreign and Trade Ministers, and ultimately to APEC Leaders who will next meet in Shanghai in September 2001.

A Retreat for APEC Senior Officials will take place on Sunday, 11 February 2001, followed by the Senior Officials' Meeting from Monday 12 February to Tuesday 13 February 2001. Committee and sub-committee meetings associated with SOM I will follow from Wednesday 14 February through to Monday 19 February 2001.

APEC Senior Officials Meetings (SOM) are held regularly before every annual meeting of foreign and economic ministers. APEC Senior Officials make recommendations to Ministers and carry out their decisions. They oversee and coordinate, under ministerial direction, the budgets and work programmes of APEC.

China will be hosting the three formal Senior Officials' Meetings; SOM I in Beijing 11-19 February(as outlined above), SOM II in Shenzen 26 May-3 June, and SOM III in Dalian 16-24 August.

Further details may be found at:
http://www.apec-china.org.cn/english/news/special.htm

APEC E-Commerce And Paperless Trading Symposium

An APEC Symposium on E-commerce and Paperless Trading is being held in Beijing 9-10 February 2001, immediately preceding the SOM I and associated meetings outlined above.

Annex 1 - Meeting Agenda

See also : http://www.apec-china.org.cn/english/news/000036.htm