Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of Pacific Rim[?] countries who meet toghtehr to try to improve economic and political ties. The first meeting was held in Canberra, Australia in 1989. It holds annual meeting s in each of the member countries and has standing committees on a wide range of issues from communications, to fisheries.

In 1994 the group agreed to bring in free trade amongst the developed economies by 2010, and with all the developing economies by 2020.

In 1997 the APEC summit was in Vancouver, British Columbia. Great controversy arose when RCMP officers used pepper spray against protesters protesting against the presence of dictators such as Indonesia's president Suharto.

APEC's 21 members by date of membership are:

• Founding members: 1989
  • Australia
  • Brunei
  • Canada
  • Indonesia
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Malaysia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Taiwan
  • Thailand
  • United States
• 1991
  • China
  • Hong Kong
• 1993
  • Mexico
  • Papua New Guinea
• 1994
  • Chile
• 1998
  • Peru
  • Russia
  • Vietnam

See also: http://www.apecsec.org.sg