Leaders to join APEC meeting

Leaders to join APEC meeting

BANGKOK (DPA): Leaders from the U.S., China and South Korea have agreed to state visits to New Zealand next September when Auckland hosts the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, New Zealand Trade Minister Lockwood Smith said Wednesday.

"U.S. President Clinton has indicated that not only is he coming to APEC, but he's actually agreed to a state visit to New Zealand at the same time," said Smith, who was in Thailand on a regional tour to assess interest in the upcoming trade powwow.

Smith flew in to Bangkok Wednesday morning from Malaysia, and on Thursday he will travel to Indonesia. Early next month he will travel to Japan, China and Singapore to drum up interest in this year's APEC gathering in Auckland.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin and Korean President Kim Young Sam have also agreed to state visits to New Zealand during the APEC meeting, said Smith.

The New Zealand trade minister brushed off criticism that APEC had run out of steam after the less-than-spectacular results from the Kuala Lumpur-hosted APEC meeting last November.