Final rehearsal reaffirms goal of Asia-Pacific free trade zone

Senior officials at regional meeting discuss reform and innovation

As a "final rehearsal" for next week's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting, senior officials from the 21 member economies of APEC gathered in Beijing on Wednesday to finalize policy details that aimed at reinvigorating trade, productivity and sustainable development.

The two-day event, to be followed by an APEC ministerial meeting and an APEC CEO meeting, marked the start of the long-awaited 2014 APEC Economic Leaders' Week, which will culminate at the economic leaders' meeting on Monday and Tuesday at Yanqi Lake, a resort town 50 kilometers north of Beijing.