WASHINGTON - The upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum will help improve Sino-US relations and promote regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, analysts said.

Amid recent tension over trade and China's exchange rate, President Hu Jintao will meet United States President Barack Obama for the 11th time at the 19th annual APEC summit in Hawaii over the weekend.

Topics at the summit will include economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region, integration of regional economies, environmentally conscious growth and energy security, said Zhang Yesui, Chinese ambassador to the US.

"The success of the meeting will be important in promoting regional cooperation in the Asia-Pacific area, facilitating world economic recovery and growth," Zhang said Monday.

Hosted by Obama and US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner starting Wednesday, APEC is a forum for 21 member economies in the Asia-Pacific region to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout the region. This year's summit, Zhang emphasized, is being held during a slow global economic recovery and increasing instability and risks in financial markets.

"The Asia-Pacific area is the most energetic area in the world economy, but it also faces many difficulties and challenges in the region," Zhang said, noting that "its member economies are developing at different levels".

"China is willing to increase coordination and cooperation with other APEC member economies to achieve practical results from the summit," Zhang said.

Yan Xuetong, dean of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University, said developed and developing economies should abide by different international norms. He said China has been gradually taking more international responsibilities.

At the summit, Hu will meet Obama for the 11th time since Obama took office, which will come shortly after their meeting at the G20 summit held in France earlier this month.

Yan predicted that the meeting will be positive and said it will improve Sino-US ties, which has been under a great deal of tension recently over issues such as bilateral trade. The US Commerce Department is expected to decide Wednesday whether to launch an investigation against Chinese solar imports, which could add to friction before the summit.

Officials from both countries have emphasized on many occasions the importance of promoting dialogue and communication to avoid bilateral miscalculations.

Yan, however, is afraid that an improvement of ties will only be effective over "the short term" due to the complexities of the Sino-US relations.

China Daily