SINGAPORE, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Over 1,000 of the world's top business leaders are converging in Singapore Friday for the only international forum that offers interaction with leaders of the most powerful nations in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Incepted in 1996, the annual APEC CEO Summit is the biggest event of the business community of the region.

    The summit was officially recognized as a sideline event of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and gained its current name at the leaders' meeting in Auckland in 1999.

    Aside from the CEOs, the event usually draws presence of some of the presidents and prime ministers of the APEC member economies. It thus provides opportunities for business leaders in the Asia-Pacific to hear presentations from and to engage in discussions with APEC economic leaders, policy makers, academia and other CEOs on the most critical economic and business issues facing the region.

    The event this year is held under the theme of "Rebuilding the Global Economy: Crisis and Opportunity".

    Nine APEC economic leaders are expected to deliver speeches at the 2009 CEO Summit, including Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Special report: President Hu Visits Malaysia, Singapore, Attends APEC summit