Nearly 100 experts and scholars from the study centers of APEC members will attend the two-day meeting focused on a theme "APEC: Heading Towards A New Century and Bright Future."

To be discussed will be a wide range of topics, such as the relations between human capacity building and the development of economic and technological cooperation, how the APEC can meet the challenges of globalization and the new economy, sub-regional trade arrangements and the APEC, the multilateral trade regime and the APEC, participation in APEC activities by small and medium-sized enterprises, and supervision of financial institutions.

At a reception held by the Tianjin Municipal Government, Mayor Li Shenglin expressed the hope that the participants could actively put forward proposals to help accelerate the APEC's process.

The APEC Study Center, an academic organization specializing in studying APEC issues by APEC members, with focus placed on policy consultancy for APEC member governments, the latest economic developments of APEC members, follow-up analysis and study of the reform of trade and investment policies.

An APEC Study Center consortium conference of APEC members is held annually in the first half of the year by its host to strengthen exchanges and discuss the latest progress in all important APEC activities.

This year's meeting is to be jointly held by the APEC Study Center at Nankai University and the TEDA.

The APEC Study Center at Nankai University was set up in March 1995. It organizes and coordinates APEC studies in China, provides consultancy for the Chinese government, and conducts academic exchanges with its counterparts among the APEC members.

(Xinhua 05/27/2001)