BEIJING, May 14 (Xinhua) -- As the host of APEC in 2026, China will hold the Second APEC Senior Officials' Meeting in Shanghai from May 18 to 19, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday.

Photo: Chinese foreign ministry

Spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a daily press briefing when answering a related query, adding that through the meeting, the participants will review the APEC cooperation in the first half of this year, gather early harvests, and make preparations for the outcomes of the leaders' meeting and other events throughout the rest of the year.

Guo said that prior to the senior officials' meeting, various committees and working groups are scheduled to hold a total of nearly 40 meetings from May 11 to 17, covering areas such as trade and investment, economic and technological cooperation, women, telecommunications, and food security.

"More than 1,000 representatives from member economies of APEC, the APEC Secretariat and the APEC observers are expected to participate in the meetings," added Guo.

He noted that APEC senior officials' meetings, held four to five times every year, are the main channel for preparing outcomes for the leaders' meeting.

Guo also introduced the host city Shanghai, which is China's largest economic center and an important global economic hub. It ranks among the world's top five cities by economic output, and tops the world in terms of port trade volume and container throughput in TEUs.

"We welcome all journalists to report on the second APEC Senior Officials' Meeting and continue following and supporting the APEC 'China Year'," said Guo.