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.