Meetings over the weekend to promote growth

Four key proposals, including the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and a global value chain, will be considered at the 2014 ministerial meetings of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on Friday and Saturday to further fuel the region's robust growth.

Zhang Shaogang, director-general of the department of international trade and economic affairs under the Ministry of Commerce, said the topics - FTAAP, a multilateral trading system, the global value chain and economic and technology cooperation - were determined after a year of high-level talks involving APEC members in different locations and will be discussed at the upcoming leaders' meeting in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday. They may become part of the action guideline under the APEC framework if leaders from the 21 member economies agree.