APEC CEO Summit opens in Singapore, stressing urgency of rebuilding economy

The APEC CEO Summit 2009 is held in Singapore on Nov. 13, 2009.  (Xinhua/Wong Pun Keung)

SINGAPORE, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The APEC CEO Summit 2009 opened here Friday, with more than 1,000 of the world's top business leaders gathering in Singapore to meet with APEC economic leaders.

In a keynote address, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said "we are meeting in a significant moment for the Asia-Pacific region" when the global economy is emerging from the crisis. "The measures the governments will take in a few months and the reaction to the crisis and opportunities we have created will determine how quickly we can recover and whether we can sustain our growth," he said.