Latest from APEC conference

(9 Sep 2001) 8 September 2001 1. Wide shot of APEC delegates walking through Panmen Garden 2. Wide shot of delegates crossing bridge 3. Taiwanese Finance Minister Yan Qingzhang crosses bridge 4. Wide shot of Pagoda 5. Close up on Yan Pan right APEC family photo op 6. Wide shot of family photo op 7. Tilt down lanterns to meeting 8. Cutaway cameras 9. Various of delegates 12. Exterior of Sheraton hotel (night shot) - where ministers are staying 13. Close up on lit Sheraton pagoda 14. Set up shot of Cullen 15. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Cullen, New Zealand Finance Minister: (Q - Is there anything in particular that the New Zealand government is asking the Australian government to do?) "No. No, there never was any truth that we were asking the Australian government for money. New Zealand hasn't come to that stage yet." 16. Cutaway Cullen 17. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Cullen, New Zealand Finance Minister (Q: How important is it for Air New Zealand to stay in the skies and Ansett to stay in the skies?) "I can't comment on issues about Air New Zealand's internal arrangements. That's a matter for Air New Zealand to comment on." 18. Cullen walks up stairs 9 September 2001 19. Exterior of APEC FM conference centre 20. Xiang Huaicheng, Chinese Finance Minister walks out of final plenary session 21. Mid shot of Xiang 22. SOUNDBITE (Mandarin) Xiang Huaicheng, Chinese Finance Minister: "The world economy is in quite a severe situation. For example, we predicted that the GDP growth rate of the United States in the second quarter should be 0.8 percent but yesterday, I received reports that suggest it is actually lower that that - probably around 0.2 percent, this still needs to be confirmed. This indicates that the difficulties we're facing today are more serious than we expected." 23. Cutaway camera 24. Chinese Finance minister entering press conference 25. Close up on US Treasury Secretary, Paul H. O'Neill 26. Pan left finance ministers at APEC presse 27. Close up of Michael Cullen NZealand FM 27. Close up of Australian delegate 28. Cutaway journalist 29. SOUNDBITE: (English) US Treasury Secretary, Paul H. O'Neill "I think we all look forward to ever better progress. China moving into WTO is an important event for China and for the rest of the world and so I am very optimistic about our future together." 30. Cutaway journalists 31. Chinese Finance Minister 32. Taiwan Finance minister 33. Wide shot of preser STORYLINE: Top Asia-Pacific finance officials on Sunday gave a nod of approval to Japan's plans to reform its troubled economic system and urged the country to "get on with it". In a closing statement, finance ministers attending an Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation group meeting also called for "timely and appropriate" worldwide efforts to reverse the global economic downturn. Amid a worsening world economy, the ministers reaffirmed APEC's commitment to enhanced cooperation to tackle the current economic difficulties. But they also singled out Japan, welcoming structural reform measures mapped out by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi such as paring back the government's huge debt and prodding banks to write off non-performing loans. US Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill summed up the sentiment of the group by stressing the importance of action rather than words. Koizumi would like to do just that, but obstacles stand in his way. Some Japanese politicians are already urging the government to abandon its debt reduction goals and put together another multi-trillion yen, pork-barrel extra budget. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...