A Recap Of Saturday’s APEC Events

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Saturday was perhaps the most significant day of the week-long Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, with business meetings capped by a VIP dinner hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. Read our live blog for exhaustive coverage of the international summit.

Or read on for a quick recap of the highlights:

At APEC

  • President Barack Obama spoke to a group of global business executives at the APEC CEO Summit at the Sheraton Waikiki on Saturday morning. Obama, who grew up in Hawaii, said this is the first time he has worn a suit here.

  • Obama also designed to make travel easier and quicker for U.S business travelers visiting Asia-Pacific countries.

  • Meanwhile, First Lady Michelle Obama and talked with students.

  • Honolulu police and guests said security was a mess at the Hale Koa, where 21 world leaders gathered for dinner Saturday evening. Attendees could not get in without security badges, which were located behind the security checkpoint. Security also did not have badges for the spouses of guests.

  • Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz told Civil Beat that the number of news articles about APEC has skyrocketed in the last two days, resulting in 鈥渁stronomical鈥 international exposure for Hawaii.

  • Vietnam President Tryong Tan Sang said his nation is ready to build a strategic partnership between Washington and Hanoi, taking peace and reconciliation to the next level.

  • The leaders of nine countries for a Trans-Pacific Partnership that could be implemented in the next 12 months to help expand trade among Asian countries. Chinese leaders objected that it had not been invited to join the TPP. The U.S. responded that it is an open agreement and anyone may participate.

  • The big event of the night was the APEC leaders dinner at the Hale Koa Hotel. President Obama and the First Lady personally greeted APEC leaders, giving Russian President Dmitry Medvedev a slap on the back.

  • On Sunday, APEC leaders and therefore APEC security, out to Kualoa Ranch and Ko Olina.

On The Streets

On the first day of the weekend, protests escalated in and near Waikiki. Some groups were voicing disapproval of government practices in other countries, and others objected to APEC.

  • Bikini-clad protesters gathered at Waikiki Beach to voice their disapproval of APEC.

  • Anti-APEC protesters with World Can’t Wait and Moana Nui began gearing up and painting signs early in the afternoon for a 4 p.m. march from Stadium Park to Waikiki. A few hundred showed up, and their march ended at blockades keeping them from the Hale Koa, where President Obama was to host dignitaries for dinner.

  • Also at Stadium Park, a group of Vietnamese gathered for a march to the Hale Koa, to protest human rights violations in Vietnam.

  • Local Taiwanese protesters marched down Kalakaua Avenue in an attempt to reach the Hale Koa to gain the attention of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

  • Civil Beat found that Chinese journalists won鈥檛 report on the Falun Gong protests against the Chinese government.

APEC Live Blog

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