Hu: China will contribute to global peace
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-18 06:28

Concerns about a pandemic come on top of those spurred by terrorism fears and a spate of major disasters over the past year, including the Indian Ocean tsunami, the South Asia earthquake and Hurricane Katrina.

"We cannot even begin to imagine the number of people who would be killed," Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said of a possible pandemic. "The impact on our economies would be catastrophic. None of us can afford this."

Although oil prices have fallen off the record highs of earlier this year, APEC leaders may also address the issue of energy security. Doubts over long-term supply have persisted amid the economic expansion of China and India, which need huge amounts of oil and other raw materials to power their growth.

Hu sought to ease such concerns.

"While it is true that China's demand for energy has somewhat increased due to its steady economic growth, its consumption volume in per capita terms is not high," he said.