APEC AT A GLANCE

Members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States. Mexico, Chile, and Papau New Guinea have applied for membership. Founded: 1989. Mission: To promote cooperation among market-oriented Pacific economies. Ten working groups within APEC discuss variety of issues. Population: The 15 member economies have more than 2 billion people. Trade: APEC members account for more than one-third of world trade. Economic Output: A gross domestic product of over $12 trillion, half the world total. This Year's Meeting: The fifth annual meeting of APEC, foreign and economic ministers Nov. 17 and 18, then heads of state.