Business leaders confident about growth in APEC

Business leaders remain confident about growth in the Asia Pacific over the next 12 months, according to a report by PWC released on Saturday.

Forty-six percent of executives are 'very confident' in revenue growth over the next 12 months, up from 36 percent in 2012, said the report after polling 635 CEOs and industry leaders across 39 nations with operations in APEC economies.

Investments are set to rise across the region. In each of APEC's 21 member economies, there are more respondents who plan to step up investments compared with those who are pulling back. In all, 67 percent said their investments in APEC economies will increase over the next 12 months.

APEC as a whole can expect to see its growth pick up over the next 10 years, from an annual average of 3.2 percent in 2003-2013 to 3.5 percent over 2013-2023. China's transition towards an ever-larger consumer of finished goods, rather than just a producer, will drive a lot of the transformations expected in the region over the next decade.

The report suggests that policymakers and business leaders adopt a regional perspective for future infrastructure development, lower the trade barriers as fast as possible, and invest in the skills that businesses need to compete today.

Night scene of Beijing in APEC Week	FTAAP a common vision, not a new rival