Finishing touches of preparations are being made in Sydney as the Australian harbor city gears up for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders'Meeting set to begin on Saturday.
Over 200 young performers and well-known artists, representing Australia's contemporary arts industry, culture and heritage, are busy rehearsing for their big performance to be staged at the Sydney Opera House Saturday night, according to a press release of the APEC 2007 taskforce. They are to entertain nearly 800 guests including the leaders from the 21 APEC member economies.
APEC-themed flower beds and APEC-branded street banners reflecting the Australian personality have brightened up key locations across the city. Sydney's tourism icons and highlights are also gearing themselves up for a showcase to the spouses of the APEC leaders, who are to be organized for a series of cultural activities.
Commonwealth APEC Spokeswoman Anne Fulwood said the cultural performance and spouse programs will promote Australia's culture, produce and nature among the guests, and gave Australian culture " a chance to shine alongside trade and investment."
Leaders from the 21 APEC member economies will gather here for a two-day annual meeting to discuss a range of issues concerning the region's security and prosperity.
Australia is the host of the APEC year 2007, which goes under the theme of "Strengthening our community, building a sustainable future."
Founded in 1989, APEC is the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia- Pacific region.
It represents the most economically dynamic region in the world, with its 21 member economies spanning four continents and accounting for approximately 40 percent of the world's population, 56 percent of world GDP and 48 percent of world trade.
The member economies are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, China's Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
Source: Xinhua
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