APEC meeting focuses on economic integration

China hopes regional economic cooperation mechanisms will promote Asia-Pacific integration, said a senior Chinese official on Friday in east China's city of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province. After the APEC 2014 First Senior Officials' Meeting, Tan Jian, senior official of China for APEC, told a press briefing that China is open to mechanisms that are conducive to regional integration and prosperity. Pushing forward economic integration was one of the priorities of the two-day gathering, Tan said, noting that the meeting touched on promoting the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP). An informal group named "Friends of the Chair" was formed at the meeting to discuss relevant issues in upcoming months, Tan said. He voiced hope that the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) and other cooperation mechanisms will become paths leading to the FTAAP. According to a press release, the meeting "has gathered more consensus on accelerating the facilitation of the FTAAP", promoting growth through innovative development and economic reform, and developing the APEC Blueprint on Connectivity. With the theme of "Shaping the Future through Asia-Pacific Partnership", the 22nd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Beijing on Nov. 10 to 11. China will continue to host a number of APEC events this year. The Second Senior Officials' Meeting and related meetings will be held in the city of Qingdao in Shandong Province in May.