HANOI, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The 14th Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum kicked off on Saturday in Hanoi of Vietnam, under the theme of "Towards a Dynamic Community for Sustainable Development and Prosperity."

    The following are key facts about the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting:

    -- Who: Attending are leaders from 21 member economies: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, China's Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.

    The leaders include Chinese President Hu Jintao, U.S. President George W. Bush, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun. Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet is acting as host.

    -- What: Since its inception in 1989 in response to the growing interdependence among Asia-Pacific economies, APEC has become a formidable regional forum acting as the primary regional vehicle for promoting open trade and practical economic and technical cooperation among the Asia-Pacific economies.

    APEC member economies account for more than one third of the world population with about 2.6 billion people, nearly 60 percent of the world GDP and about 47 percent of the world trade. It also represents the most economically dynamic region in the world.

    -- Where: Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, with a population of nearly 3.2 million. For its beautiful and favorable geographical location,Hanoi has been Vietnam's political and administrative hubas well as the center for cultural, scientific, educational, economic activities and international transactions of the country.

    -- When: The meeting is being held on Nov. 18-19, following a Ministerial Meeting on Nov. 15-16 and a Senior Official Meeting on Nov. 12-13.