SHANGHAI: Digital technology is set to be the focus of the Fifth APEC Ministerial Meeting of Telecommunications and Information Industries next week.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting is due to be held in Shanghai from May 27 to 31.

Officials in the organizing committee said preparatory work has been going smoothly.

The organizing committee has attached great importance to the meeting as it will be this century's first ministerial meeting of telecommunications and information industries, said Wu Jichuan, China's minister of information industry, whose ministry is a major co-organizer of the meeting.

Wu added that, although they are facing a severe global economic situation, the APEC economies think it is important to recognize the trend of globalization and the adoption of network-based information technology. Therefore, the proposed theme of the meeting is "utilizing digital opportunities to promote common development".

Wang Lijian, deputy director of the ministry's Office of Information, said: "Senior officials of the APEC economies will hold discussions on May 27 and 28, and ministerial meetings will start on May 29."

The ministerial meetings will include five plenary sessions, Wang added.

The first plenary session will focus on infrastructure construction, the second on telecom policy and market regulation, the third on information and network security, the fourth on human-resources development, and the fifth will set future directions for next year's meeting.

This year's meeting will publish two important documents - the Shanghai Declaration and Programme of Action.

Over 500 people are expected to attend the ministerial meeting.

(China Daily May 23, 2002)