WELLINGTON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- More than 250 business people from the Asia-Pacific region will gather in Auckland next week to seek to influence the trade and investment agenda of the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in the run-up to China's hosting of the organization's annual meeting.

Leading New Zealand businesses would join the meeting of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) from Feb. 11 to 14 to advance the country's "critical interests in the region," Phil O' Reilly, chief executive of Business New Zealand, the host organization, said in a statement Wednesday.

China was hosting APEC in 2014 and a delegation of senior Chinese business leaders would also attend the Auckland meeting, he said.

"China is assuming the chair of APEC as the region accelerates its economic growth," David Green, managing director ( institutional), ANZ bank, a meeting sponsor, said in the statement.

ABAC's agenda took in trade and investment, sustainable development, financial issues, SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) and entrepreneurship, infrastructure and connectivity.

"ABAC's first meeting for 2014 is the chance to set the agenda for the year ahead as we look for progress on a range of critical issues including the Trans Pacific Partnership, food security, foreign direct investment and SME growth," said Tony Nowell, New Zealand member of ABAC.

Source: Xinhua

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