Critics question usefulness of APEC summit

Despite the weight of those attending next week's meeting of national leaders, few are expecting anything more than photo opportunities to come of it

World leaders will be swathed in the finest of silks. The streets have been cleared of unsightly vendors and beggars. Thousands of soldiers and police, along with warplanes and missiles, are at the ready to keep terrorists at bay.

The frenzied, grandiose and costly preparations for the APEC summit are worthy of a historic event. But critics say the annual gathering of 21 Pacific Rim leaders doesn't amount to much more than a talk-fest and a colorful group photo.

"At the end of the day, you won't get anything beyond broad remarks. There won't be any concrete plans," Joseph Tan, an economist for the Standard Chartered Bank, says of the summit that will include US President George W. Bush, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2003/10/17/2003072137