Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao announced at the regular press conference:

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai will jointly lead a delegation to attend the 17th ministerial meeting of APEC to be held in Pusan, ROK from November 15 to 16 to make preparations for the subsequent 13th Informal APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.

APEC is an important economic cooperation forum in Asia and Pacific and has 21 members. With the purpose of reinforcing the multilateral trade mechanism and eradicating regional trade barriers, APEC is a dynamic force promoting the regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, economic and technological cooperation and economic growth in Asia and Pacific.

The 17th ministerial meeting will focus on such issues as contributing to the negotiations on the WTO Doha Development Agenda, medium assessment of APEC's Bogor Goals, regional trade arrangement, economic and technological cooperation, trade security, bird flu prevention and control, anti-corruption and energy security.